A Biological Framework of Reduced Physical and Social Activity across the Lifespan
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Experimental Psychology
Abstract
For decades, we have known that being physically and socially active can have major health benefits, including the prevention of later life ill-health and the improvement of symptoms when sick. Despite these benefits, many people do not engage in regular exercise and are socially dis-engaged. Such inactivity increases as people get older, leading to significant costs to health systems across the world, as well as major personal costs to the individual.
Why aren't people more active? A crucial factor that prevents an active life is motivation. People who are more motivated are more active. Even otherwise healthy people can suffer from high levels of motivation problems such as social apathy (people enjoy social interactions but simply don't have the will to engage in them) or fatigue (people who feeling exhausted after small levels of exertion). Moreover these motivational impairments increase as people get older. Yet, we understand very little about why people vary in motivation. Is there a biology of social apathy and fatigue?
The overarching aim of the proposed research is to identify how differences in how certain systems in the brain work, relates to differences in how socially apathetic or fatigued people are, and to examine how changes in the brain lead to reduced motivation as we get older. To do this I will extend recent advancements in basic neuroscience that has provided a rich understanding of how the brain motivates behaviour. Within this research it has been suggested that reduced motivation might be due to a heightened sensitivity to how effortful actions are. People who are more motivated find the same actions less effortful.
Here, I propose to examine how different aspects of effort sensitivity may be linked to fatigue and social apathy in healthy people as they get older. To do this, I will perform studies in healthy human volunteers using a number of techniques including brain imaging, brain stimulation and a mobile phone game, with effort sensitivity quantified using precise computational approaches. Using all of these approaches together I will be able to answer specific questions about the systems in the brain that motivate behaviour in social situations and when getting exhausted. By comparing the brain systems underlying effort sensitivity in young and older people, I will try and understand what changes in the brain may lead to higher levels of social apathy and fatigue as people get older. In summary, the key questions that the proposed research would examine are:
1) Can social apathy and fatigue be characterised as increased sensitivity to different aspects of effort in healthy people?
2) Do social apathy and fatigue increase across the lifespan because of heightened effort sensitivity?
3) What systems in the brain underlie different aspects of effort sensitivity and are they linked to social apathy and fatigue?
4) Are changes in these brain systems in older adults linked to increased effort sensitivity, social apathy and fatigue?
5) Can stimulating these brain areas in a unique sample of individuals with deep brain stimulators implanted into specific brain areas provide evidence of these regions being causally involved in effort sensitivity?
This work will be carried out in the Department of Experimental Psychology, at the University of Oxford. The principal investigator (Dr. Apps) will work in collaboration with a postdoctoral researcher, consultant surgeons in the Nuffield Department of Surgical Science, the Wellcome trust Centre for integrated neuroscience and a mobile brain training company.
Why aren't people more active? A crucial factor that prevents an active life is motivation. People who are more motivated are more active. Even otherwise healthy people can suffer from high levels of motivation problems such as social apathy (people enjoy social interactions but simply don't have the will to engage in them) or fatigue (people who feeling exhausted after small levels of exertion). Moreover these motivational impairments increase as people get older. Yet, we understand very little about why people vary in motivation. Is there a biology of social apathy and fatigue?
The overarching aim of the proposed research is to identify how differences in how certain systems in the brain work, relates to differences in how socially apathetic or fatigued people are, and to examine how changes in the brain lead to reduced motivation as we get older. To do this I will extend recent advancements in basic neuroscience that has provided a rich understanding of how the brain motivates behaviour. Within this research it has been suggested that reduced motivation might be due to a heightened sensitivity to how effortful actions are. People who are more motivated find the same actions less effortful.
Here, I propose to examine how different aspects of effort sensitivity may be linked to fatigue and social apathy in healthy people as they get older. To do this, I will perform studies in healthy human volunteers using a number of techniques including brain imaging, brain stimulation and a mobile phone game, with effort sensitivity quantified using precise computational approaches. Using all of these approaches together I will be able to answer specific questions about the systems in the brain that motivate behaviour in social situations and when getting exhausted. By comparing the brain systems underlying effort sensitivity in young and older people, I will try and understand what changes in the brain may lead to higher levels of social apathy and fatigue as people get older. In summary, the key questions that the proposed research would examine are:
1) Can social apathy and fatigue be characterised as increased sensitivity to different aspects of effort in healthy people?
2) Do social apathy and fatigue increase across the lifespan because of heightened effort sensitivity?
3) What systems in the brain underlie different aspects of effort sensitivity and are they linked to social apathy and fatigue?
4) Are changes in these brain systems in older adults linked to increased effort sensitivity, social apathy and fatigue?
5) Can stimulating these brain areas in a unique sample of individuals with deep brain stimulators implanted into specific brain areas provide evidence of these regions being causally involved in effort sensitivity?
This work will be carried out in the Department of Experimental Psychology, at the University of Oxford. The principal investigator (Dr. Apps) will work in collaboration with a postdoctoral researcher, consultant surgeons in the Nuffield Department of Surgical Science, the Wellcome trust Centre for integrated neuroscience and a mobile brain training company.
Technical Summary
Staying physically and socially active can have powerful protective effects for health and wellbeing across the lifespan. Yet, increasing levels of activity is a major public health challenge. One significant barrier is motivation. Social apathy - a reduced willingness to engage in social behaviours - and fatigue - a feeling of exhaustion that reduces activity - both reduce motivation, physical and social activity, and increase across the lifespan. Yet, the underlying neuro-computational mechanisms of such motivational impairments are poorly understood.
Here, I propose to develop novel, biological, causally linked accounts of social apathy and fatigue in healthy people by characterising them as heightened sensitivity to different components of effort. I will take a multimodal approach using brain imaging, computational modelling, testing the effects of deep-brain stimulation and a mobile app. In doing so I will characterise the systems in the brain that underlie effort sensitivity, their relation to social apathy and fatigue, and how they may change across the lifespan.
I will test specific hypotheses relating to the following questions:
(1) Can heightened sensitivity to exerting effort to benefit others (i.e. reduced "prosocial motivation") be used as a framework of social apathy and its changes across the lifespan?
(2) Can increased sensitivity to the history of exerted effort during a task be used as a framework of lifespan changes in different aspects of fatigue?
(3) What are the neuro-computational mechanisms underlying effort sensitivity and does variability in them relate to social apathy and fatigue?
(4) Do the same systems in the brain that are linked to effort sensitivity, social apathy and fatigue, also show differences in processing effort between younger and older adults?
(5) Does a causal manipulation of fronto-striatal circuits in the human brain in deep brain stimulation patients change sensitivity to effort
Here, I propose to develop novel, biological, causally linked accounts of social apathy and fatigue in healthy people by characterising them as heightened sensitivity to different components of effort. I will take a multimodal approach using brain imaging, computational modelling, testing the effects of deep-brain stimulation and a mobile app. In doing so I will characterise the systems in the brain that underlie effort sensitivity, their relation to social apathy and fatigue, and how they may change across the lifespan.
I will test specific hypotheses relating to the following questions:
(1) Can heightened sensitivity to exerting effort to benefit others (i.e. reduced "prosocial motivation") be used as a framework of social apathy and its changes across the lifespan?
(2) Can increased sensitivity to the history of exerted effort during a task be used as a framework of lifespan changes in different aspects of fatigue?
(3) What are the neuro-computational mechanisms underlying effort sensitivity and does variability in them relate to social apathy and fatigue?
(4) Do the same systems in the brain that are linked to effort sensitivity, social apathy and fatigue, also show differences in processing effort between younger and older adults?
(5) Does a causal manipulation of fronto-striatal circuits in the human brain in deep brain stimulation patients change sensitivity to effort
Planned Impact
By 2060, age-related spending, such as spending on pensions and healthcare, is projected to rise to 26.3% of GDP, equivalent to a rise of around £79bn in the UK, and a rise of up to 29.8% of GDP in the EU. In a 2010 WHO report, reduced physical activity was highlighted as the fourth biggest cause of mortality worldwide. Yet, currently our understanding of why people vary in activity is poor. Apathy and fatigue - the key motivational impairments in this proposal - are known to have significant impacts on quality of life, well-being, levels of civic engagement and employment. In addition, they are significant secondary symptoms in many psychiatric and neurological conditions. As a result, the long-term goal of this research is to provide understanding reduced activity and find approaches that increase it by enhancing motivation, providing a significant improvement to national health and reduce public health spending.
(1) Who will benefit from this research?
Key beneficiaries include:
o Professionals working with young and older people such as doctors, nurses, clinical psychologists, neurologists, occupational therapists, professionals working in social care, individuals and groups working with the unemployed and people working in human resources department in industry
o Individuals with motivational problems: including young and old people themselves; patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders which lead to high levels of apathy and fatigue (e.g. Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's disease, Schizophrenia, Depression)
o Charities and policy makers: Age UK, Age Concern and the Center for Ageing Policy, policy makers in the Department of Health and Department of Work and Pensions
o Industry: Brain training company Peak and the brain training industry.
Although the focus here is UK based, similar beneficiaries also exist internationally.
(2) How will they benefit from this research?
The short-term aims of this specific grant is to develop an evidence based for understanding motivational impairments. Based on this evidence, medium and long-term potential impact may arise through the development of tools for increasing motivation.
Policy makers in the Department of Health and Work and Pensions: The evidence base provided could be used for informing policy. This would allow the departments to find new ways of encouraging the UK population to increase levels of activity and social engagement through public health campaigns that focus on increasing motivation.
Charities, practitioners and social workers: The research will be of benefit to these groups in the short to medium term. Providing an understanding that motivational impairments may have an underlying biology may significantly help individuals for whom high levels of fatigue and social apathy are stigmatized and poorly understood. This understanding may also guide charities, social workers and practitioners in their policies for interacting with service users.
Young and old people, patients and carers: In the short term, I aim to communicate with a broad demographic of society including young and older people and patients, particularly those for whom apathy and fatigue are a significant issue. In the longer term, it is hoped that these groups will benefit from improved evidence-based initiatives that scaffold healthy ageing. By increasing societal and individual awareness through direct channels with the researchers this may have a greater impact for individuals and carers.
Industry: Brain training is a growing industry - worth over £1bn in 2016. The collaboration with Peak has the potential in the medium/long term to develop tools that increase motivation. The brain training industry would therefore benefit through the development of such tools, assuming the efficacy is rigorously, empirically tested.
(1) Who will benefit from this research?
Key beneficiaries include:
o Professionals working with young and older people such as doctors, nurses, clinical psychologists, neurologists, occupational therapists, professionals working in social care, individuals and groups working with the unemployed and people working in human resources department in industry
o Individuals with motivational problems: including young and old people themselves; patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders which lead to high levels of apathy and fatigue (e.g. Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's disease, Schizophrenia, Depression)
o Charities and policy makers: Age UK, Age Concern and the Center for Ageing Policy, policy makers in the Department of Health and Department of Work and Pensions
o Industry: Brain training company Peak and the brain training industry.
Although the focus here is UK based, similar beneficiaries also exist internationally.
(2) How will they benefit from this research?
The short-term aims of this specific grant is to develop an evidence based for understanding motivational impairments. Based on this evidence, medium and long-term potential impact may arise through the development of tools for increasing motivation.
Policy makers in the Department of Health and Work and Pensions: The evidence base provided could be used for informing policy. This would allow the departments to find new ways of encouraging the UK population to increase levels of activity and social engagement through public health campaigns that focus on increasing motivation.
Charities, practitioners and social workers: The research will be of benefit to these groups in the short to medium term. Providing an understanding that motivational impairments may have an underlying biology may significantly help individuals for whom high levels of fatigue and social apathy are stigmatized and poorly understood. This understanding may also guide charities, social workers and practitioners in their policies for interacting with service users.
Young and old people, patients and carers: In the short term, I aim to communicate with a broad demographic of society including young and older people and patients, particularly those for whom apathy and fatigue are a significant issue. In the longer term, it is hoped that these groups will benefit from improved evidence-based initiatives that scaffold healthy ageing. By increasing societal and individual awareness through direct channels with the researchers this may have a greater impact for individuals and carers.
Industry: Brain training is a growing industry - worth over £1bn in 2016. The collaboration with Peak has the potential in the medium/long term to develop tools that increase motivation. The brain training industry would therefore benefit through the development of such tools, assuming the efficacy is rigorously, empirically tested.
Organisations
- University of Oxford (Lead Research Organisation)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- Royal Holloway, University of London (Collaboration)
- Yale University (Collaboration)
- Radboud University Nijmegen (Collaboration)
- IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
- University of Birmingham (Fellow)
People |
ORCID iD |
Matthew Apps (Principal Investigator / Fellow) |
Publications
Contreras-Huerta LS
(2022)
Prosocial behavior is associated with transdiagnostic markers of affective sensitivity in multiple domains.
in Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
Yu H
(2022)
Neural and Cognitive Signatures of Guilt Predict Hypocritical Blame.
in Psychological science
Hammond WM
(2022)
Global field observations of tree die-off reveal hotter-drought fingerprint for Earth's forests.
in Nature communications
Van Bavel JJ
(2022)
National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic.
in Nature communications
Pavlovic T
(2022)
Predicting attitudinal and behavioral responses to COVID-19 pandemic using machine learning.
in PNAS nexus
Pisauro MA
(2022)
Neural implementation of computational mechanisms underlying the continuous trade-off between cooperation and competition.
in Nature communications
Van Bavel J
(2022)
National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic.
Lockwood P
(2022)
Distinct neural representations for prosocial and self-benefiting effort
in Current Biology
Müller T
(2022)
Preferences for seeking effort or reward information bias the willingness to work.
in Scientific reports
Description | This grant moved in summer 2020. Its key findings can be found under BB/R010668/2 |
Exploitation Route | Too early to say |
Sectors | Other |
Description | Influence on guidelines for the diagnosis of apathy |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Citation in clinical reviews |
Description | Workship on Computational modelling for social neuroscience |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | 'A predictive framework of social behaviour from psychiatric symptoms' |
Amount | £6,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Department | Christ Church |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2019 |
End | 06/2020 |
Description | British Federation of Women graduates grant to Tanja Mueller |
Amount | £6,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | British Federation of Women Graduates |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2018 |
End | 10/2019 |
Description | Co-Investigator on ESRC Impact grant, aimed at advising SAGE on social conformity to public health guidelines |
Amount | £15,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2020 |
End | 08/2020 |
Description | ESRC Postdoctoral Scholarship for Dr. Anthony Gabay |
Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 11/2018 |
End | 11/2019 |
Description | John Fell Fund Grant - A behavioural ecology approach to human foraging and apathy |
Amount | £42,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2019 |
End | 06/2020 |
Description | Marshall Scholarship for PhD - supported application for Katie O'Nell |
Amount | $80,000 (USD) |
Organisation | Marshall Scholarship |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2019 |
End | 09/2022 |
Description | Studienstiftung PhD scholarship |
Amount | € 18,000 (EUR) |
Organisation | Government of Germany |
Sector | Public |
Country | Germany |
Start | 11/2018 |
End | 11/2019 |
Description | Uk - Israel Synergy Grant - Co-organiser of "A symposium for Social Motivation" in Haifa, Israel. https://sites.google.com/is.haifa.ac.il/socialmotivation/ |
Amount | £7,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | British Council |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2019 |
End | 12/2019 |
Description | Wellcome Trust ISSF: A behavioural ecology approach to social neuroscience |
Amount | £21,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2021 |
End | 12/2021 |
Title | Data and Code for "ageing increases prosocial motivation of effort" paper |
Description | Data and analysis code for preprint: Lockwood, P., Abdurahman, A., Gabay, A., Drew, D., Tamm, M., Husain, M., & Apps, M. A. J. (2020, March 18). Ageing increases prosocial motivation for effort. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/8c5ra Accepted for Publication in Psychological Science |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | N/A |
URL | https://osf.io/guqrm/ |
Description | Collaboration with Dr. Josh Balsters |
Organisation | Royal Holloway, University of London |
Department | Department of Psychology |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Provided support for a grant application, providing data collection and analysis materials and code. |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr. Balsters applied for a grant to purchase equipment and collect the data using a paradigm designed by my group. |
Impact | N/A |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Collaboration with Imperial College London researchers |
Organisation | Imperial College London |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | My team is providing the paradigm, data collection and analysis programs to collect data on motivated behaviour and apathy in Patients with traumatic brain injury |
Collaborator Contribution | Prof. Sharp's team is collecting, analysing and leading the publication of the data collected using our paradigms. |
Impact | N/A |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Collaboration with Prof Niko Steinbeis - University College London |
Organisation | University College London |
Department | CoMPLEX, University College London, UK |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Designing research to look at effort processing and apathy in young children. |
Collaborator Contribution | They are recruiting and testing the children |
Impact | N/A |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Collaboration with UCL researchers |
Organisation | University College London |
Department | Division of Psychology & Language Sciences |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Prof. Essi Viding is using our paradigm to examine motivated behaviour/apathy in children with conduct problems. We provide access to the data collection and analysis programs. |
Collaborator Contribution | Prof. Viding's team will collect the data and publish the results. |
Impact | N.A |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Collaboration with researchers at Oxford |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Department | Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | My team is providing the paradigm, data collection and analysis programs to collect data on motivated behaviour and apathy in patients with dementia. |
Collaborator Contribution | Prof. Butler's team will collect data from the patients. |
Impact | N/A |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Hosting visting researcher |
Organisation | Radboud University Nijmegen |
Department | Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour |
Country | Netherlands |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Hosting of a Marie-Curie Fellow from Randbound Institute |
Collaborator Contribution | Design of a new study in collaboration, data collection and publication to come under my supervision |
Impact | N/A |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | International collaboration with Dr. Molly Crockett |
Organisation | Yale University |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Formed a collaboration and co-supervising a PhD student |
Collaborator Contribution | Formed a collaboration and co-supervising a PhD student |
Impact | N/A |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | ATOM Festival of Science |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | My group had a stall at the science festival promoting research investigating fatigue and motivation in healthy people, across the lifespan and in patients groups. Members of the public were informed about our research, and members of the public signed up to be participants in our research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | ATOM Science and Technology Festival, Abingdon-on-Thames |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Members of the group attended and presented about our research at this event. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019 |
Description | CNC open day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Patients, carers and the general public are invited to come and see the workings of the lab and the department. This sparked questions and discussion with patients and an increase in participation in research in the future. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015,2018 |
Description | Group member interviewed about research on National Public Radio, US. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | A member of my group was invited to discuss our research on one of the largest radio networks in the US - NPR. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/09/26/764604968/too-much-training-can-tax-athletes-br... |
Description | Invited talk presented at the Lions Club Blaubeuren-Laichingen club evening, 18 April, Blaubeuren, Germany. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited talk presented at the Lions Club Blaubeuren-Laichingen club evening, 18 April, Blaubeuren, Germany by PhD student Tanja Mueller |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Oxford Science and Ideas Festival |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Members of my group presented at this science festival for two days |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019 |
Description | Patient event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
Results and Impact | We held an event at our institution, to showcase the research we have been carrying out with the help of local elderly members of the general public, patient groups and their carers. Approximately 80 people attended, that stimulated further questions, requests to participate and was also a fun event thanking those who have volunteered for their time. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018,2019 |
Description | Professional twitter account |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | I use a professional twitter account to interact with other scientists and the general public and also run our lab twitter account. I have over 2100 followers of which the majority are fellow scientists but also consist of members of the public, clinicians, patients and carers, as well as media outlets. I regularly post and engage with all of these groups and discuss my work, other scientists work and also the work of my lab. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016,2017,2018 |
URL | https://twitter.com/brain_apps |
Description | TV interview on research on fatigue |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | PhD student Tanja Mueller conducted a TV interview about her research, which was featured in a documentary on German national television. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |