Neuroscience and psychology of temporal discounting: implications for decision-making

Temporal discounting is a construct associated with decision -making processes, in which the outcome of the choice can be affected when considering its consequences by the variation of the "waiting time". Thus, "temporal discounting" refers to a decision mediated by a reward that "loses value" over time, despite being "beneficial". This type of decision -making has been studied from different perspectives in both animal models and humans. The responses to these decisions have been categorized as being related to self-control when the "larger" reward is chosen and, in turn, delayed in time or, on the other hand, to impulsivity, when a "smaller" but immediate reward is chosen. Dopamine and serotonin have been implicated as neurotransmitters modulating these types of decisions; also, linking to the activation of circuits specifically involving the prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, amygdala, and subthalamic nuclei. This theoretical -reflexive manuscript aimed to address temporal discounting, their cognitive influences, and neural bases, as well as their variations in case of brain damage.