Experimentally imposed circadian misalignment alters the neural response to monetary rewards and response inhibition in healthy adolescents

Bilateral ventral striatal activation during reward outcome was lower during the Misaligned condition in healthy adolescents (n = 25).

• Circadian misalignment, simulating early school start times, may affect neural responses to monetary rewards.
• Lower activation in the ventral striatum during reward outcomes was observed when participants were in the Misaligned condition.
• Activation differences in the ventral striatum during reward anticipation were noted, though not statistically significant after corrections.
• Response inhibition, measured by activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus, was also lower during the Misaligned condition in the morning scan.
• These findings suggest that shifts in circadian timing may influence reward processing and cognitive control in adolescents.

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