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Finkelman T, Furman-Haran E, Aberg KC, Paz R, Tal A. Inhibitory mechanisms in the prefrontal-cortex differentially mediate Putamen activity during valence-based learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.29.605168. [PMID: 39131397 PMCID: PMC11312490 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.29.605168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Learning from appetitive and aversive stimuli is important for survival. It involves interactions between the prefrontal cortex and subcortical structures, with inhibition playing a crucial role. However, direct evidence for this in humans is limited. Here, we overcome the difficulty of measuring inhibition in the human brain and find that GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter, affects how the dACC interacts with subcortical structures during appetitive and aversive learning differently. We used 7T magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to track GABA levels in the dACC alongside whole-brain fMRI scans while participants engaged in appetitive and aversive learning tasks. During appetitive learning, dACC GABA levels were negatively correlated with learning performance and BOLD activity measured from the dACC and the Putamen. While under aversive learning, dACC GABA concentration negatively correlated with the functional connectivity between the dACC and the Putamen. Our results show that inhibition in the dACC mediates appetitive and aversive learning in humans through distinct mechanisms.
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2
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Dubinsky JM, Hamid AA. The neuroscience of active learning and direct instruction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105737. [PMID: 38796122 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Throughout the educational system, students experiencing active learning pedagogy perform better and fail less than those taught through direct instruction. Can this be ascribed to differences in learning from a neuroscientific perspective? This review examines mechanistic, neuroscientific evidence that might explain differences in cognitive engagement contributing to learning outcomes between these instructional approaches. In classrooms, direct instruction comprehensively describes academic content, while active learning provides structured opportunities for learners to explore, apply, and manipulate content. Synaptic plasticity and its modulation by arousal or novelty are central to all learning and both approaches. As a form of social learning, direct instruction relies upon working memory. The reinforcement learning circuit, associated agency, curiosity, and peer-to-peer social interactions combine to enhance motivation, improve retention, and build higher-order-thinking skills in active learning environments. When working memory becomes overwhelmed, additionally engaging the reinforcement learning circuit improves retention, providing an explanation for the benefits of active learning. This analysis provides a mechanistic examination of how emerging neuroscience principles might inform pedagogical choices at all educational levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet M Dubinsky
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Arif A Hamid
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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3
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Alí Diez I, Fàbrega-Camps G, Parra-Tíjaro J, Marco-Pallarés J. Anticipatory and consummatory neural correlates of monetary and music rewarding stimuli. Brain Cogn 2024; 179:106186. [PMID: 38843763 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/17/2024]
Abstract
Most of the literature on the neural bases of human reward and punishment processing has used monetary gains and losses, but less is known about the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the anticipation and consumption of other types of rewarding stimuli. In the present study, EEG was recorded from 19 participants who completed a modified version of the Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task. During the task, cues providing information about potential future outcomes were presented to the participants. Then, they had to respond rapidly to a target stimulus to win money or listening to pleasant music, or to avoid losing money or listening to unpleasant music. Results revealed similar responses for monetary and music cues, with increased activity for cues indicating potential gains compared to losses. However, differences emerged in the outcome phase between money and music. Monetary outcomes showed an interaction between the type of the cue and the outcome in the Feedback Related Negativity and Fb-P3 ERPs and increased theta activity increased for negative feedbacks. In contrast, music outcomes showed significant interactions in the Fb-P3 and theta activities. These findings suggest similar neurophysiological mechanisms in processing cues for potential positive or negative outcomes in these two types of stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Italo Alí Diez
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Spain; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Spain; Department of Psychology, University of La Frontera, Chile
| | - Gemma Fàbrega-Camps
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Spain; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Spain
| | - Jeison Parra-Tíjaro
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Spain; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Spain
| | - Josep Marco-Pallarés
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Spain; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Spain.
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4
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Vavra P, Galván EP, Sanfey AG. Moral decision-making in context: Behavioral and neural processes underlying allocations based on need, merit, and equality. Cortex 2024; 177:53-67. [PMID: 38838559 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
How to fairly allocate goods is a key issue of social decision-making. Extensive research demonstrates that people do not selfishly maximize their own benefits, but instead also consider how others are affected. However, most accounts of the psychological processes underlying fairness-related behavior implicitly assume that assessments of fairness are somewhat stable. In this paper, we present results of a novel task, the Re-Allocation Game, in which two players receive an allocation determined by the computer and, on half of the trials, one player has the subsequent possibility to change this allocation. Importantly, prior to the receipt of the allocation, players were shown either their respective financial situations, their respective performance on a previous simple task, or random information, while being scanned using functional neuroimaging. As expected, our results demonstrate when given the opportunity, participants allocated on average almost half the money to anonymous others. However, our findings further show that participants used the provided information in a dynamic manner, revealing the underlying principle based on which people re-allocate money - namely based on merit, need, or equality - switches dynamically. On the neural level, we identified activity in the right and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortices related to context-independent inequity and context-dependent fairness information respectively when viewing the computer-generated allocations. At the same time, activity in the temporoparietal and precuneus represented these different types of fairness-related information in adjacent and partially overlapping clusters. Finally, we observed that the activity pattern in the precuneus and putamen was most clearly related to participants' subsequent re-allocation decisions. Together, our findings suggest that participants judge an allocation as fair or unfair using a network associated with cognitive control and theory-of-mind, while dynamically switching between what might constitute a fair allocation in a particular context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Vavra
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Department of Biological Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Elijah P Galván
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Alan G Sanfey
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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5
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Sawyers C, Straub LK, Gauntlett J, Bjork JM. Developmental differences in striatal recruitment by reward prospects as a function of attentional demand. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 68:101412. [PMID: 38936253 PMCID: PMC11259946 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Adolescent risk-taking has been attributed to earlier-developing motivational neurocircuitry that is poorly controlled by immature executive-control neurocircuitry. Functional magnetic resonance imaging findings of increased ventral striatum (VS) recruitment by reward prospects in adolescents compared to adults support this theory. Other studies found blunted VS recruitment by reward-predictive cues in adolescents compared to adults. Task features may explain this discrepancy but have never been systematically explored. Adolescents and adults performed a novel reward task that holds constant the expected value of all rewards but varies whether rewards are dependent on vigilance-intensive responding versus making a lucky choice during a relaxed response window. We examined group by sub-task contrast differences in activation of VS and more motoric regions of striatum in response to anticipatory cues. Reward anticipation in both task conditions activated portions of striatum in both groups. In voxel-wise comparison, adults showed greater anticipatory recruitment of VS in trials involving choice during a relaxed time window, not in the more vigilance-demanding trials as hypothesized. In accord with our hypotheses, however, adults showed greater activation in dorsal striatum and putamen volumes of interest during reward anticipation under vigilance-demanding conditions. Following trial outcome notifications, adolescents showed greater activation of the VS during reward notification but lower activation during loss notification. These data extend findings of cross-sectional age-group differences in incentive-anticipatory recruitment of striatum, by demonstrating in adults relatively greater recruitment of motor effector regions of striatum by attentional and motor demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Sawyers
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, USA.
| | - Lisa K Straub
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
| | - Joseph Gauntlett
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
| | - James M Bjork
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
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6
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Hoy CW, de Hemptinne C, Wang SS, Harmer CJ, Apps MAJ, Husain M, Starr PA, Little S. Beta and theta oscillations track effort and previous reward in the human basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex during decision making. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2322869121. [PMID: 39047043 PMCID: PMC11295073 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322869121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Choosing whether to exert effort to obtain rewards is fundamental to human motivated behavior. However, the neural dynamics underlying the evaluation of reward and effort in humans is poorly understood. Here, we report an exploratory investigation into this with chronic intracranial recordings from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and basal ganglia (BG; subthalamic nuclei and globus pallidus) in people with Parkinson's disease performing a decision-making task with offers that varied in levels of reward and physical effort required. This revealed dissociable neural signatures of reward and effort, with BG beta (12 to 20 Hz) oscillations tracking effort on a single-trial basis and PFC theta (4 to 7 Hz) signaling previous trial reward, with no effects of net subjective value. Stimulation of PFC increased overall acceptance of offers and sensitivity to reward while decreasing the impact of effort on choices. This work uncovers oscillatory mechanisms that guide fundamental decisions to exert effort for reward across BG and PFC, supports a causal role of PFC for such choices, and seeds hypotheses for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin W. Hoy
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Coralie de Hemptinne
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32608
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32608
| | - Sarah S. Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Catherine J. Harmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, OxfordOX3 7JX, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew A. J. Apps
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX2 6GG, United Kingdom
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham UKB15 2TT, United Kingdom
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, BirminghamB15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX2 6GG, United Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, OxfordOX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Philip A. Starr
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Little
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
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7
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Kim JC, Hellrung L, Grueschow M, Nebe S, Nagy Z, Tobler PN. Neural Representation of Valenced and Generic Probability and Uncertainty. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0195242024. [PMID: 38866483 PMCID: PMC11270512 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0195-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Representing the probability and uncertainty of outcomes facilitates adaptive behavior by allowing organisms to prepare in advance and devote attention to relevant events. Probability and uncertainty are often studied only for valenced (appetitive or aversive) outcomes, raising the question of whether the identified neural machinery also processes the probability and uncertainty of motivationally neutral outcomes. Here, we aimed to dissociate valenced from valence-independent (i.e., generic) probability (p; maximum at p = 1) and uncertainty (maximum at p = 0.5) signals using human neuroimaging. In a Pavlovian task (n = 41; 19 females), different cues predicted appetitive, aversive, or neutral liquids with different probabilities (p = 0, p = 0.5, p = 1). Cue-elicited motor responses accelerated, and pupil sizes increased primarily for cues that predicted valenced liquids with higher probability. For neutral liquids, uncertainty rather than probability tended to accelerate cue-induced responding and decrease pupil size. At the neural level, generic uncertainty signals were limited to the occipital cortex, while generic probability also activated the anterior ventromedial prefrontal cortex. These generic probability and uncertainty signals contrasted with cue-induced responses that only encoded the probability and uncertainty of valenced liquids in medial prefrontal, insular, and occipital cortices. Our findings show a behavioral and neural dissociation of generic and valenced signals. Thus, some parts of the brain keep track of motivational charge while others do not, highlighting the need and usefulness of characterizing the exact nature of learned representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Chang Kim
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lydia Hellrung
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Grueschow
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Nebe
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zoltan Nagy
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philippe N Tobler
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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8
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Abdel-Ghaffar SA, Huth AG, Lescroart MD, Stansbury D, Gallant JL, Bishop SJ. Occipital-temporal cortical tuning to semantic and affective features of natural images predicts associated behavioral responses. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5531. [PMID: 38982092 PMCID: PMC11233618 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49073-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
In everyday life, people need to respond appropriately to many types of emotional stimuli. Here, we investigate whether human occipital-temporal cortex (OTC) shows co-representation of the semantic category and affective content of visual stimuli. We also explore whether OTC transformation of semantic and affective features extracts information of value for guiding behavior. Participants viewed 1620 emotional natural images while functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired. Using voxel-wise modeling we show widespread tuning to semantic and affective image features across OTC. The top three principal components underlying OTC voxel-wise responses to image features encoded stimulus animacy, stimulus arousal and interactions of animacy with stimulus valence and arousal. At low to moderate dimensionality, OTC tuning patterns predicted behavioral responses linked to each image better than regressors directly based on image features. This is consistent with OTC representing stimulus semantic category and affective content in a manner suited to guiding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samy A Abdel-Ghaffar
- Department of Psychology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Google LLC, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alexander G Huth
- Centre for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience, UT Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Mark D Lescroart
- Department of Psychology University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Dustin Stansbury
- Program in Vision Sciences, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jack L Gallant
- Department of Psychology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Program in Vision Sciences, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sonia J Bishop
- Department of Psychology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PX31, Ireland.
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9
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Elliott BL, Mohyee RA, Ballard IC, Olson IR, Ellman LM, Murty VP. In vivo structural connectivity of the reward system along the hippocampal long axis. Hippocampus 2024; 34:327-341. [PMID: 38700259 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Recent work has identified a critical role for the hippocampus in reward-sensitive behaviors, including motivated memory, reinforcement learning, and decision-making. Animal histology and human functional neuroimaging have shown that brain regions involved in reward processing and motivation are more interconnected with the ventral/anterior hippocampus. However, direct evidence examining gradients of structural connectivity between reward regions and the hippocampus in humans is lacking. The present study used diffusion MRI (dMRI) and probabilistic tractography to quantify the structural connectivity of the hippocampus with key reward processing regions in vivo. Using a large sample of subjects (N = 628) from the human connectome dMRI data release, we found that connectivity profiles with the hippocampus varied widely between different regions of the reward circuit. While the dopaminergic midbrain (ventral tegmental area) showed stronger connectivity with the anterior versus posterior hippocampus, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex showed stronger connectivity with the posterior hippocampus. The limbic (ventral) striatum demonstrated a more homogeneous connectivity profile along the hippocampal long axis. This is the first study to generate a probabilistic atlas of the hippocampal structural connectivity with reward-related networks, which is essential to investigating how these circuits contribute to normative adaptive behavior and maladaptive behaviors in psychiatric illness. These findings describe nuanced structural connectivity that sets the foundation to better understand how the hippocampus influences reward-guided behavior in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake L Elliott
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Raana A Mohyee
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ian C Ballard
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Ingrid R Olson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lauren M Ellman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Vishnu P Murty
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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10
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Lockwood PL, Cutler J, Drew D, Abdurahman A, Jeyaretna DS, Apps MAJ, Husain M, Manohar SG. Human ventromedial prefrontal cortex is necessary for prosocial motivation. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:1403-1416. [PMID: 38802539 PMCID: PMC11272586 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01899-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is vital for decision-making. Functional neuroimaging links vmPFC to processing rewards and effort, while parallel work suggests vmPFC involvement in prosocial behaviour. However, the necessity of vmPFC for these functions is unknown. Patients with rare focal vmPFC lesions (n = 25), patients with lesions elsewhere (n = 15) and healthy controls (n = 40) chose between rest and exerting effort to earn rewards for themselves or another person. vmPFC damage decreased prosociality across behavioural and computational measures. vmPFC patients earned less, discounted rewards by effort more, and exerted less force when another person benefited, compared to both control groups. Voxel-based lesion mapping revealed dissociations between vmPFC subregions. While medial damage led to antisocial behaviour, lateral damage increased prosocial behaviour relative to patients with damage elsewhere. vmPFC patients also showed reduced effort sensitivity overall, but reward sensitivity was limited to specific subregions. These results reveal multiple causal contributions of vmPFC to prosocial behaviour, effort and reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia L Lockwood
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Jo Cutler
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Daniel Drew
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ayat Abdurahman
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Deva Sanjeeva Jeyaretna
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Neurology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Matthew A J Apps
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Neurology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Sanjay G Manohar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Neurology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
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11
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Combrisson E, Basanisi R, Gueguen MCM, Rheims S, Kahane P, Bastin J, Brovelli A. Neural interactions in the human frontal cortex dissociate reward and punishment learning. eLife 2024; 12:RP92938. [PMID: 38941238 PMCID: PMC11213568 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2024] Open
Abstract
How human prefrontal and insular regions interact while maximizing rewards and minimizing punishments is unknown. Capitalizing on human intracranial recordings, we demonstrate that the functional specificity toward reward or punishment learning is better disentangled by interactions compared to local representations. Prefrontal and insular cortices display non-selective neural populations to rewards and punishments. Non-selective responses, however, give rise to context-specific interareal interactions. We identify a reward subsystem with redundant interactions between the orbitofrontal and ventromedial prefrontal cortices, with a driving role of the latter. In addition, we find a punishment subsystem with redundant interactions between the insular and dorsolateral cortices, with a driving role of the insula. Finally, switching between reward and punishment learning is mediated by synergistic interactions between the two subsystems. These results provide a unifying explanation of distributed cortical representations and interactions supporting reward and punishment learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Combrisson
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille UniversitéMarseilleFrance
| | - Ruggero Basanisi
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille UniversitéMarseilleFrance
| | - Maelle CM Gueguen
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut NeurosciencesGrenobleFrance
| | - Sylvain Rheims
- Department of Functional Neurology and Epileptology, Hospices Civils de Lyon and University of LyonLyonFrance
| | - Philippe Kahane
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut NeurosciencesGrenobleFrance
| | - Julien Bastin
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut NeurosciencesGrenobleFrance
| | - Andrea Brovelli
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille UniversitéMarseilleFrance
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12
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Waltmann M, Herzog N, Reiter AMF, Villringer A, Horstmann A, Deserno L. Neurocomputational mechanisms underlying differential reinforcement learning from wins and losses in obesity with and without binge eating. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024:S2451-9022(24)00160-5. [PMID: 38909896 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is thought of as a disorder of cognitive control but evidence regarding its neurocognitive mechanisms is inconclusive. Key limitations in prior research are a lack of consistent separation between effects of BED and obesity, and a disregard for self-report evidence suggesting that neurocognitive alterations may emerge primarily in loss- or harm-avoidance contexts. METHODS Addressing these gaps, this longitudinal study investigated behavioral flexibility and its underlying neuro-computational processes in reward-seeking and loss-avoidance contexts. Obese participants with BED (BED), without BED (OB), and healthy normal-weight participants (NW) (Ntotal=96) performed a probabilistic reversal learning task during functional imaging, with different blocks focused on obtaining wins or avoiding losses. They were reinvited for a 6-months follow-up. RESULTS Analyses informed by computational models of reinforcement learning showed that unlike BED, OB performed worse in the win than the loss condition. Computationally, this was explained by differential learning sensitivities in the win vs loss conditions between groups. In the brain, this was echoed in differential neural learning signals in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) per condition. The differences were subtle, but scaled with BED symptoms, such that more severe BED symptoms were associated with increasing bias towards improved learning from wins vs losses. Across conditions, OB switched more between choice options than NW. This was reflected in diminished representation of choice certainty in the vmPFC. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the importance of distinguishing between obesity with and without BED to identify unique neuro-computational alterations underlying different styles of maladaptive eating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Waltmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Nadine Herzog
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andrea M F Reiter
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; CRC-940 Volition and Cognitive Control, Faculty of Psychology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette Horstmann
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lorenz Deserno
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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13
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Lee SA, Lee JJ, Han J, Choi M, Wager TD, Woo CW. Brain representations of affective valence and intensity in sustained pleasure and pain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2310433121. [PMID: 38857402 PMCID: PMC11194486 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310433121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Pleasure and pain are two fundamental, intertwined aspects of human emotions. Pleasurable sensations can reduce subjective feelings of pain and vice versa, and we often perceive the termination of pain as pleasant and the absence of pleasure as unpleasant. This implies the existence of brain systems that integrate them into modality-general representations of affective experiences. Here, we examined representations of affective valence and intensity in an functional MRI (fMRI) study (n = 58) of sustained pleasure and pain. We found that the distinct subpopulations of voxels within the ventromedial and lateral prefrontal cortices, the orbitofrontal cortex, the anterior insula, and the amygdala were involved in decoding affective valence versus intensity. Affective valence and intensity predictive models showed significant decoding performance in an independent test dataset (n = 62). These models were differentially connected to distinct large-scale brain networks-the intensity model to the ventral attention network and the valence model to the limbic and default mode networks. Overall, this study identified the brain representations of affective valence and intensity across pleasure and pain, promoting a systems-level understanding of human affective experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Ahn Lee
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon16419, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon16419, Republic of Korea
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Joong Lee
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jisoo Han
- Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Myunghwan Choi
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon16419, Republic of Korea
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Tor D. Wager
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH03755
| | - Choong-Wan Woo
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon16419, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon16419, Republic of Korea
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon16419, Republic of Korea
- Life-inspired Neural Network for Prediction and Optimization Research Group, Suwon16419, Republic of Korea
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14
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Cohen MS, Leong YC, Ruby K, Pape RA, Decety J. Intersubject correlations in reward and mentalizing brain circuits separately predict persuasiveness of two types of ISIS video propaganda. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13455. [PMID: 38862592 PMCID: PMC11166951 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62341-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The Islamist group ISIS has been particularly successful at recruiting Westerners as terrorists. A hypothesized explanation is their simultaneous use of two types of propaganda: Heroic narratives, emphasizing individual glory, alongside Social narratives, which emphasize oppression against Islamic communities. In the current study, functional MRI was used to measure brain responses to short ISIS propaganda videos distributed online. Participants were shown 4 Heroic and 4 Social videos categorized as such by another independent group of subjects. Persuasiveness was measured using post-scan predictions of recruitment effectiveness. Inter-subject correlation (ISC) was used to measure commonality of brain activity time courses across individuals. ISCs in ventral striatum predicted rated persuasiveness for Heroic videos, while ISCs in mentalizing and default networks, especially in dmPFC, predicted rated persuasiveness for Social videos. This work builds on past findings that engagement of the reward circuit and of mentalizing brain regions predicts preferences and persuasion. The observed dissociation as a function of stimulus type is novel, as is the finding that intersubject synchrony in ventral striatum predicts rated persuasiveness. These exploratory results identify possible neural mechanisms by which political extremists successfully recruit prospective members and specifically support the hypothesized distinction between Heroic and Social narratives for ISIS propaganda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Cohen
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 5848 S. University Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Yuan Chang Leong
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 5848 S. University Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Keven Ruby
- Department of Political Science, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Chicago Project on Security and Threats, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Robert A Pape
- Department of Political Science, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Chicago Project on Security and Threats, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jean Decety
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 5848 S. University Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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15
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Kobayashi K, Kable JW. Neural mechanisms of information seeking. Neuron 2024; 112:1741-1756. [PMID: 38703774 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
We ubiquitously seek information to make better decisions. Particularly in the modern age, when more information is available at our fingertips than ever, the information we choose to collect determines the quality of our decisions. Decision neuroscience has long adopted empirical approaches where the information available to decision-makers is fully controlled by the researchers, leaving neural mechanisms of information seeking less understood. Although information seeking has long been studied in the context of the exploration-exploitation trade-off, recent studies have widened the scope to investigate more overt information seeking in a way distinct from other decision processes. Insights gained from these studies, accumulated over the last few years, raise the possibility that information seeking is driven by the reward system signaling the subjective value of information. In this piece, we review findings from the recent studies, highlighting the conceptual and empirical relationships between distinct literatures, and discuss future research directions necessary to establish a more comprehensive understanding of how individuals seek information as a part of value-based decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Kobayashi
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Joseph W Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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16
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Dejoie JM, Senia N, Konova A, Smith D, Fareri D. Common and Distinct Drug Cue Reactivity Patterns Associated with Cocaine and Heroin: An fMRI Meta-Analysis. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2023.10.19.23297268. [PMID: 37905133 PMCID: PMC10615011 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.19.23297268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Substance use and substance use disorders represent ongoing major public health crises. Specifically, the use of substances such as cocaine and heroin are responsible for over 50,000 drug related deaths combined annually. We used a comparative meta-analysis procedure to contrast activation patterns associated with cocaine and heroin cue reactivity, which may reflect substance use risk for these substances. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for studies with within-subject whole brain analyses comparing drug to neutral cues for users of cocaine and heroin published between 1995 and 2022. A total of 18 studies were included, 9 in each subgroup. Voxel-based meta-analyses were performed using seed-based d mapping with permuted subject images (SDM-PSI) for subgroup mean analyses and a contrast meta-regression comparing the two substances. Results from our mean analysis indicated that users of heroin showed more widespread activation in the nucleus accumbens, right inferior and left middle temporal gyrus, right thalamus, and right cerebellum. Cocaine use was associated with recruitment of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during cue reactivity. Direct comparison of cue reactivity studies in heroin relative to cocaine users revealed greater activation in dopaminergic targets for users of heroin compared to users of cocaine. Differential activation patterns between substances may underlie differences in the clinical characteristics observed in users of cocaine and heroin, including seeking emotional blunting in users of heroin. More consistent research methodology is needed to provide adequate studies for stringent meta-analyses examining common and distinct neural activation patterns across substances and moderation by clinically relevant factors.
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17
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Krikova K, Klein S, Kampa M, Walter B, Stark R, Klucken T. Appetitive conditioning with pornographic stimuli elicits stronger activation in reward regions than monetary and gaming-related stimuli. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26711. [PMID: 38798103 PMCID: PMC11128778 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Appetitive conditioning plays an important role in the development and maintenance of pornography-use and gaming disorders. It is assumed that primary and secondary reinforcers are involved in these processes. Despite the common use of pornography and gaming in the general population appetitive conditioning processes in this context are still not well studied. This study aims to compare appetitive conditioning processes using primary (pornographic) and secondary (monetary and gaming-related) rewards as unconditioned stimuli (UCS) in the general population. Additionally, it investigates the conditioning processes with gaming-related stimuli as this type of UCS was not used in previous studies. Thirty-one subjects participated in a differential conditioning procedure in which four geometric symbols were paired with either pornographic, monetary, or gaming-related rewards or with nothing to become conditioned stimuli (CS + porn, CS + game, CS + money, and CS-) in an functional magnetic resonance imaging study. We observed elevated arousal and valence ratings as well as skin conductance responses for each CS+ condition compared to the CS-. On the neural level, we found activations during the presentation of the CS + porn in the bilateral nucleus accumbens, right medial orbitofrontal cortex, and the right ventral anterior cingulate cortex compared to the CS-, but no significant activations during CS + money and CS + game compared to the CS-. These results indicate that different processes emerge depending on whether primary and secondary rewards are presented separately or together in the same experimental paradigm. Additionally, monetary and gaming-related stimuli seem to have a lower appetitive value than pornographic rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kseniya Krikova
- Clinical Psychology and PsychotherapyUniversity of SiegenSiegenGermany
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems NeuroscienceJustus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
- Bender Institute for Neuroimaging (BION)Justus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
| | - Sanja Klein
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems NeuroscienceJustus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
- Bender Institute for Neuroimaging (BION)Justus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
| | - Miriam Kampa
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems NeuroscienceJustus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
- Bender Institute for Neuroimaging (BION)Justus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
| | - Bertram Walter
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems NeuroscienceJustus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
- Bender Institute for Neuroimaging (BION)Justus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
| | - Rudolf Stark
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems NeuroscienceJustus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
- Bender Institute for Neuroimaging (BION)Justus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
- Center for Mind, Brain and BehaviorUniversities of Marburg and GießenMarburgGermany
| | - Tim Klucken
- Clinical Psychology and PsychotherapyUniversity of SiegenSiegenGermany
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18
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Walker CS, Li L, Baracchini G, Tremblay-Mercier J, Spreng RN, Geddes MR. Neurobehavioral Mechanisms Influencing the Association Between Generativity, the Desire to Promote Well-Being of Younger Generations, and Purpose in Life in Older Adults at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2024; 79:gbae060. [PMID: 38623965 PMCID: PMC11138215 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbae060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Generativity, the desire and action to improve the well-being of younger generations, is associated with purpose in life among older adults. However, the neurobehavioral factors supporting the relationship between generativity and purpose in life remain unknown. This study aims to identify the functional neuroanatomy of generativity and mechanisms linking generativity with purpose in life in at-risk older adults. METHODS Fifty-eight older adults (mean age = 70.8, SD = 5.03, 45 females) with a family history of Alzheimer's disease (AD) were recruited from the PREVENT-AD cohort. Participants underwent brain imaging and completed questionnaires assessing generativity, social support, and purpose in life. Mediation models examined whether social support mediated the association between generativity and purpose in life. Seed-to-voxel analyses investigated the association between generativity and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and ventral striatum (VS), and whether this rsFC moderated the relationship between generativity and purpose in life. RESULTS Affectionate social support mediated the association between generative desire and purpose in life. Generative desire was associated with rsFC between VS and precuneus, and, vmPFC and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rdlPFC). The vmPFC-rdlPFC rsFC moderated the association between generative desire and purpose in life. DISCUSSION These findings provide insight into how the brain supports complex social behavior and, separately, purpose in life in at-risk aging. Affectionate social support may be a putative target process to enhance purpose in life in older adults. This knowledge contributes to future developments of personalized interventions that promote healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin S Walker
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Linda Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Giulia Baracchini
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Studies in the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, Douglas Mental Health Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jennifer Tremblay-Mercier
- Centre for Studies in the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, Douglas Mental Health Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - R Nathan Spreng
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Studies in the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, Douglas Mental Health Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maiya R Geddes
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Studies in the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, Douglas Mental Health Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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19
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Poublan-Couzardot A, Talmi D. Pain perception as hierarchical Bayesian inference: A test case for the theory of constructed emotion. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1536:42-59. [PMID: 38837401 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
An intriguing perspective about human emotion, the theory of constructed emotion considers emotions as generative models according to the Bayesian brain hypothesis. This theory brings fresh insight to existing findings, but its complexity renders it challenging to test experimentally. We argue that laboratory studies of pain could support the theory because although some may not consider pain to be a genuine emotion, the theory must at minimum be able to explain pain perception and its dysfunction in pathology. We review emerging evidence that bear on this question. We cover behavioral and neural laboratory findings, computational models, placebo hyperalgesia, and chronic pain. We conclude that there is substantial evidence for a predictive processing account of painful experience, paving the way for a better understanding of neuronal and computational mechanisms of other emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Poublan-Couzardot
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL, Bron, France
| | - Deborah Talmi
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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20
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Jüllig AK, Hebib S, Metzker H, Gruber E, Gruber O. Task-induced deactivation dysfunction during reward processing is associated with low self-esteem in a possible subtype of major depression. Brain Behav 2024; 14:e3545. [PMID: 38873863 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Low self-esteem is a frequent symptom in major depressive disorder (MDD). This functional magnetic resonance imaging study investigated whether MDD patients with low self-esteem show a distinct neural pathophysiology. Previous studies linked low self-esteem to reduced task-induced deactivation of the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) as a part of the default mode network, and to reduced connectivity between pgACC and reward system. Goya-Maldonado et al. identified an MDD subtype with pgACC and ventral striatal overactivations during reward processing. We hypothesized that this subtype might be characterized by low self-esteem. METHODS Eighty-three MDD patients performed the desire-reason dilemma task and completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Brain activity during bottom-up reward processing was regressed upon the RSES scores, controlling for depression severity measured by the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale. To corroborate the findings, we compared self-esteem scores between patient subgroups with impaired task-induced deactivation (n = 31) and with preserved task-induced deactivation (n = 31) of the pgACC. RESULTS Consistent with our a priori hypothesis, activity in a bilateral fronto-striatal network including pgACC and ventral striatum correlated negatively with RSES scores, also when controlling for depression severity. In the additional analysis, patients with impaired task-induced pgACC deactivation showed lower self-esteem (t (52.82) = -2.27; p = .027, d = 0.58) compared to those with preserved task-induced pgACC deactivation. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that low self-esteem in MDD patients is linked to a task-induced deactivation dysfunction of the pgACC. Our findings suggest that a previously described possible subtype of MDD with pgACC and ventral striatal overactivations during reward processing is clinically characterized by low self-esteem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia K Jüllig
- Section for Experimental Psychopathology and Neuroimaging, Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sandi Hebib
- Section for Experimental Psychopathology and Neuroimaging, Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Helena Metzker
- Section for Experimental Psychopathology and Neuroimaging, Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eva Gruber
- Section for Experimental Psychopathology and Neuroimaging, Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Oliver Gruber
- Section for Experimental Psychopathology and Neuroimaging, Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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21
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Bernardi E, Visioli F. Fostering wellbeing and healthy lifestyles through conviviality and commensality: Underappreciated benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. Nutr Res 2024; 126:46-57. [PMID: 38613923 DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2024.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Among the often-neglected features of healthy diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, is the preparation and sharing of food, which is (or was) done in a social environment governed by social rules rather than by time constraints. The act of eating is a daily human practice that is not limited to meeting nutritional and energy needs but also involves a constructed social dimension of sharing meals that is part of the process of human civilization and food cultures around the world. In this narrative review, we outline the importance of conviviality in steering part of the health effects of healthful diets, with special reference to the Mediterranean diet. Based on the available evidence, we suggest that public health initiatives (such as nudging to promote conviviality) to improve people's eating and living styles, reduce loneliness, and promote the sharing of meals could improve health. Interventions aimed at directly increasing/improving people's social relationships, networking, and conviviality can-directly and indirectly-improve both psychological well-being and general health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Bernardi
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari "Aldo Moro" - Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Visioli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Italy; IMDEA-Food, Madrid, Spain.
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22
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Brassard SL, Liu H, Dosanjh J, MacKillop J, Balodis I. Neurobiological foundations and clinical relevance of effort-based decision-making. Brain Imaging Behav 2024:10.1007/s11682-024-00890-x. [PMID: 38819540 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-024-00890-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Applying effort-based decision-making tasks provides insights into specific variables influencing choice behaviors. The current review summarizes the structural and functional neuroanatomy of effort-based decision-making. Across 39 examined studies, the review highlights the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in forming reward-based predictions, the ventral striatum encoding expected subjective values driven by reward size, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex for monitoring choices to maximize rewards, and specific motor areas preparing for effort expenditure. Neuromodulation techniques, along with shifting environmental and internal states, are promising novel treatment interventions for altering neural alterations underlying decision-making. Our review further articulates the translational promise of this construct into the development, maintenance and treatment of psychiatric conditions, particularly those characterized by reward-, effort- and valuation-related deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Brassard
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Hanson Liu
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jadyn Dosanjh
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Iris Balodis
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
- Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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23
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Vassiliadis P, Beanato E, Popa T, Windel F, Morishita T, Neufeld E, Duque J, Derosiere G, Wessel MJ, Hummel FC. Non-invasive stimulation of the human striatum disrupts reinforcement learning of motor skills. Nat Hum Behav 2024:10.1038/s41562-024-01901-z. [PMID: 38811696 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01901-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Reinforcement feedback can improve motor learning, but the underlying brain mechanisms remain underexplored. In particular, the causal contribution of specific patterns of oscillatory activity within the human striatum is unknown. To address this question, we exploited a recently developed non-invasive deep brain stimulation technique called transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) during reinforcement motor learning with concurrent neuroimaging, in a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind study. Striatal tTIS applied at 80 Hz, but not at 20 Hz, abolished the benefits of reinforcement on motor learning. This effect was related to a selective modulation of neural activity within the striatum. Moreover, 80 Hz, but not 20 Hz, tTIS increased the neuromodulatory influence of the striatum on frontal areas involved in reinforcement motor learning. These results show that tTIS can non-invasively and selectively modulate a striatal mechanism involved in reinforcement learning, expanding our tools for the study of causal relationships between deep brain structures and human behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Vassiliadis
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, EPFL Valais, Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elena Beanato
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, EPFL Valais, Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Traian Popa
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, EPFL Valais, Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Fabienne Windel
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, EPFL Valais, Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Takuya Morishita
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, EPFL Valais, Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Esra Neufeld
- Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Julie Duque
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gerard Derosiere
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Impact Team, Inserm U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon 1 University, Bron, France
| | - Maximilian J Wessel
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, EPFL Valais, Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Friedhelm C Hummel
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute, EPFL Valais, Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland.
- Clinical Neuroscience, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland.
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24
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Soutschek A, Burke CJ, Kang P, Wieland N, Netzer N, Tobler PN. Neural Reward Representations Enable Utilitarian Welfare Maximization. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2376232024. [PMID: 38621996 PMCID: PMC11112638 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2376-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
From deciding which meal to prepare for our guests to trading off the proenvironmental effects of climate protection measures against their economic costs, we often must consider the consequences of our actions for the well-being of others (welfare). Vexingly, the tastes and views of others can vary widely. To maximize welfare according to the utilitarian philosophical tradition, decision-makers facing conflicting preferences of others should choose the option that maximizes the sum of the subjective value (utility) of the entire group. This notion requires comparing the intensities of preferences across individuals. However, it remains unclear whether such comparisons are possible at all and (if they are possible) how they might be implemented in the brain. Here, we show that female and male participants can both learn the preferences of others by observing their choices and represent these preferences on a common scale to make utilitarian welfare decisions. On the neural level, multivariate support vector regressions revealed that a distributed activity pattern in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), a brain region previously associated with reward processing, represented the preference strength of others. Strikingly, also the utilitarian welfare of others was represented in the VMPFC and relied on the same neural code as the estimated preferences of others. Together, our findings reveal that humans can behave as if they maximized utilitarian welfare using a specific utility representation and that the brain enables such choices by repurposing neural machinery processing the reward others receive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Soutschek
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Munich 80802, Germany
| | | | - Pyungwon Kang
- Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
| | - Nuri Wieland
- Catholic University of Applied Sciences North Rhine-Westphalia, Cologne 50668, Germany
| | - Nick Netzer
- Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
| | - Philippe N Tobler
- Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
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25
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Mallio CA, Buoso A, Stiffi M, Cea L, Vertulli D, Bernetti C, Di Gennaro G, van den Heuvel MP, Beomonte Zobel B. Mapping the Neural Basis of Neuroeconomics with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Narrative Literature Review. Brain Sci 2024; 14:511. [PMID: 38790489 PMCID: PMC11120557 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroeconomics merges neuroscience, economics, and psychology to investigate the neural basis of decision making. Decision making involves assessing outcomes with subjective value, shaped by emotions and experiences, which are crucial in economic decisions. Functional MRI (fMRI) reveals key areas of the brain, including the ventro-medial prefrontal cortex, that are involved in subjective value representation. Collaborative interdisciplinary efforts are essential for advancing the field of neuroeconomics, with implications for clinical interventions and policy design. This review explores subjective value in neuroeconomics, highlighting brain regions identified through fMRI studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo A. Mallio
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00100 Rome, Italy; (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.C.); (D.V.); (C.B.); (B.B.Z.)
- Research Unit of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00100 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Buoso
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00100 Rome, Italy; (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.C.); (D.V.); (C.B.); (B.B.Z.)
- Research Unit of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00100 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Stiffi
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00100 Rome, Italy; (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.C.); (D.V.); (C.B.); (B.B.Z.)
- Research Unit of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00100 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Cea
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00100 Rome, Italy; (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.C.); (D.V.); (C.B.); (B.B.Z.)
- Research Unit of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00100 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniele Vertulli
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00100 Rome, Italy; (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.C.); (D.V.); (C.B.); (B.B.Z.)
- Research Unit of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00100 Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Bernetti
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00100 Rome, Italy; (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.C.); (D.V.); (C.B.); (B.B.Z.)
- Research Unit of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00100 Rome, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Di Gennaro
- Department of Health Sciences, Medical Statistics, University of Catanzaro “Magna Græcia”, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Martijn P. van den Heuvel
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bruno Beomonte Zobel
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00100 Rome, Italy; (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.C.); (D.V.); (C.B.); (B.B.Z.)
- Research Unit of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00100 Rome, Italy
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26
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Ghaderi S, Amani Rad J, Hemami M, Khosrowabadi R. Dysfunctional feedback processing in male methamphetamine abusers: Evidence from neurophysiological and computational approaches. Neuropsychologia 2024; 197:108847. [PMID: 38460774 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) as a major public health risk is associated with dysfunctional neural feedback processing. Although dysfunctional feedback processing in people who are substance dependent has been explored in several behavioral, computational, and electrocortical studies, this mechanism in MUDs requires to be well understood. Furthermore, the current understanding of latent components of their behavior such as learning speed and exploration-exploitation dilemma is still limited. In addition, the association between the latent cognitive components and the related neural mechanisms also needs to be explored. Therefore, in this study, the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms of feedback processing of such impairment, and age/gender-matched healthy controls are evaluated within a probabilistic learning task with rewards and punishments. Mathematical modeling results based on the Q-learning paradigm suggested that MUDs show less sensitivity in distinguishing optimal options. Additionally, it may be worth noting that MUDs exhibited a slight decrease in their ability to learn from negative feedback compared to healthy controls. Also through the lens of underlying neural mechanisms, MUDs showed lower theta power at the medial-frontal areas while responding to negative feedback. However, other EEG measures of reinforcement learning including feedback-related negativity, parietal-P300, and activity flow from the medial frontal to lateral prefrontal regions, remained intact in MUDs. On the other hand, the elimination of the linkage between value sensitivity and medial-frontal theta activity in MUDs was observed. The observed dysfunction could be due to the adverse effects of methamphetamine on the cortico-striatal dopamine circuit, which is reflected in the anterior cingulate cortex activity as the most likely region responsible for efficient behavior adjustment. These findings could help us to pave the way toward tailored therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadegh Ghaderi
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jamal Amani Rad
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Hemami
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Khosrowabadi
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
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27
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Koslov SR, Kable JW, Foster BL. Dissociable Contributions of the Medial Parietal Cortex to Recognition Memory. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2220232024. [PMID: 38527809 PMCID: PMC11063824 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2220-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Human neuroimaging studies of episodic memory retrieval routinely observe the engagement of specific cortical regions beyond the medial temporal lobe. Of these, medial parietal cortex (MPC) is of particular interest given its distinct functional characteristics during different retrieval tasks. Specifically, while recognition and autobiographical recall tasks are both used to probe episodic retrieval, these paradigms consistently drive distinct spatial patterns of response within MPC. However, other studies have emphasized alternate MPC functional dissociations in terms of brain network connectivity profiles or stimulus category selectivity. As the unique contributions of MPC to episodic memory remain unclear, adjudicating between these different accounts can provide better consensus regarding MPC function. Therefore, we used a precision-neuroimaging dataset (7T functional magnetic resonance imaging) to examine how MPC regions are differentially engaged during recognition memory and how these task-related dissociations may also reflect distinct connectivity and stimulus category functional profiles. We observed interleaved, though spatially distinct, subregions of MPC where responses were sensitive to either recognition decisions or the semantic representation of stimuli. In addition, this dissociation was further accentuated by functional subregions displaying distinct profiles of connectivity with the hippocampus during task and rest. Finally, we show that recent observations of dissociable person and place selectivity within the MPC reflect category-specific responses from within identified semantic regions that are sensitive to mnemonic demands. Together, by examining precision functional mapping within individuals, these data suggest that previously distinct observations of functional dissociation within MPC conform to a common principle of organization throughout hippocampal-neocortical memory systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth R Koslov
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Joseph W Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Brett L Foster
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
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28
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Madar A, Kurtz-David V, Hakim A, Levy DJ, Tavor I. Pre-acquired Functional Connectivity Predicts Choice Inconsistency. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0453232024. [PMID: 38508713 PMCID: PMC11063819 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0453-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Economic choice theories usually assume that humans maximize utility in their choices. However, studies have shown that humans make inconsistent choices, leading to suboptimal behavior, even without context-dependent manipulations. Previous studies showed that activation in value and motor networks are associated with inconsistent choices at the moment of choice. Here, we investigated if the neural predispositions, measured before a choice task, can predict choice inconsistency in a later risky choice task. Using functional connectivity (FC) measures from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI), derived before any choice was made, we aimed to predict subjects' inconsistency levels in a later-performed choice task. We hypothesized that rsfMRI FC measures extracted from value and motor brain areas would predict inconsistency. Forty subjects (21 females) completed a rsfMRI scan before performing a risky choice task. We compared models that were trained on FC that included only hypothesized value and motor regions with models trained on whole-brain FC. We found that both model types significantly predicted inconsistency levels. Moreover, even the whole-brain models relied mostly on FC between value and motor areas. For external validation, we used a neural network pretrained on FC matrices of 37,000 subjects and fine-tuned it on our data and again showed significant predictions. Together, this shows that the tendency for choice inconsistency is predicted by predispositions of the nervous system and that synchrony between the motor and value networks plays a crucial role in this tendency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asaf Madar
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Vered Kurtz-David
- Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, New York 10016
| | - Adam Hakim
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Dino J Levy
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ido Tavor
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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29
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Wang Y, Yao X. Neural correlates of willingness to pay for items: A meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. Physiol Behav 2024; 278:114481. [PMID: 38369217 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Willingness to pay (WTP) pervades every marketplace transaction, therefore, understanding how the brain makes bidding decisions is essential in consumer neuroscience. Although some neuroimaging studies have investigated the neural networks of WTP, systematic understanding remains limited. This study identified reliable neural networks activated by the WTP across different reward types and assessed common and distinct neural networks for different reward types (food and other) bids. We conducted an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis on WTP across different reward types (25 studies; 254 foci; 705 participants), and to compared neural representations of WTP for food reward (22 studies; 232 foci; 628 participants) and other rewards (7 studies, 61 foci; 177 participants). The ALE results revealed that the brain centers of WTP for different rewards mainly consist of the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), bilateral insula, bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), along with the left caudate. This suggests that neural networks encoding WTP for different rewards consist of brain regions associated with reward processing, cost-benefit calculations, and goal-directed action activities. In addition, consistent activation of the bilateral IFG and bilateral insula for food but no other rewards bids suggest their involvement in the neural network of appetite. WTP for food and other rewards commonly activated ACC, suggesting a common region encoding bids for different rewards. Our findings provide novel insights into neural networks associated with WTP for food and other rewards bids and the mechanisms underlying WTP across different reward types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Wang
- School of Economics and Management, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China; Institute of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China.
| | - Xiaoqiang Yao
- School of Economics and Management, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China; Institute of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China
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30
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Clairis N, Pessiglione M. Value Estimation versus Effort Mobilization: A General Dissociation between Ventromedial and Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1176232024. [PMID: 38514180 PMCID: PMC11044108 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1176-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Deciding on a course of action requires both an accurate estimation of option values and the right amount of effort invested in deliberation to reach sufficient confidence in the final choice. In a previous study, we have provided evidence, across a series of judgment and choice tasks, for a dissociation between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which would represent option values, and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), which would represent the duration of deliberation. Here, we first replicate this dissociation and extend it to the case of an instrumental learning task, in which 24 human volunteers (13 women) choose between options associated with probabilistic gains and losses. According to fMRI data recorded during decision-making, vmPFC activity reflects the sum of option values generated by a reinforcement learning model and dmPFC activity the deliberation time. To further generalize the role of the dmPFC in mobilizing effort, we then analyze fMRI data recorded in the same participants while they prepare to perform motor and cognitive tasks (squeezing a handgrip or making numerical comparisons) to maximize gains or minimize losses. In both cases, dmPFC activity is associated with the output of an effort regulation model, and not with response time. Taken together, these results strengthen a general theory of behavioral control that implicates the vmPFC in the estimation of option values and the dmPFC in the energization of relevant motor and cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Clairis
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior team, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), Paris 75013, France
- CNRS U7225, Inserm U1127, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75005, France
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute (BMI), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1004, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Pessiglione
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior team, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), Paris 75013, France
- CNRS U7225, Inserm U1127, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75005, France
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31
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Chiappini E, Massaccesi C, Korb S, Steyrl D, Willeit M, Silani G. Neural Hyperresponsivity During the Anticipation of Tangible Social and Nonsocial Rewards in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Concurrent Neuroimaging and Facial Electromyography Study. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024:S2451-9022(24)00108-3. [PMID: 38642898 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atypical anticipation of social reward has been shown to lie at the core of the social challenges faced by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, previous research has yielded inconsistent results and has often overlooked crucial characteristics of stimuli. Here, we investigated ASD reward processing using social and nonsocial tangible stimuli, carefully matched on several key dimensions. METHODS We examined the anticipation and consumption of social (interpersonal touch) and nonsocial (flavored milk) rewards in 25 high-functioning individuals with ASD and 25 neurotypical adult individuals. In addition to subjective ratings of wanting and liking, we measured physical energetic expenditure to obtain the rewards, brain activity with neuroimaging, and facial reactions through electromyography on a trial-by-trial basis. RESULTS Participants with ASD did not exhibit reduced motivation for social or nonsocial rewards; their subjective ratings, motivated efforts, and facial reactions were comparable to those of neurotypical participants. However, anticipation of higher-value rewards increased neural activation in lateral parietal cortices, sensorimotor regions, and the orbitofrontal cortex. Moreover, participants with ASD exhibited hyperconnectivity between frontal medial regions and occipital regions and the thalamus. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with ASD who experienced rewards with tangible characteristics, whether social or nonsocial, displayed typical subjective and objective motivational and hedonic responses. Notably, the observed hyperactivations in sensory and attentional nodes during anticipation suggest atypical sensory overprocessing of forthcoming rewards rather than decreased reward value. While these atypicalities may not have manifested in observable behavior here, they could impact real-life social interactions that require nuanced predictions, potentially leading to the misperception of reduced interest in rewarding social stimuli in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Chiappini
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Claudia Massaccesi
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Korb
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Centre for Brain Science, Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - David Steyrl
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthäus Willeit
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of General Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giorgia Silani
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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32
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Fouragnan EF, Hosking B, Cheung Y, Prakash B, Rushworth M, Sel A. Timing along the cardiac cycle modulates neural signals of reward-based learning. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2976. [PMID: 38582905 PMCID: PMC10998831 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46921-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural fluctuations in cardiac activity modulate brain activity associated with sensory stimuli, as well as perceptual decisions about low magnitude, near-threshold stimuli. However, little is known about the relationship between fluctuations in heart activity and other internal representations. Here we investigate whether the cardiac cycle relates to learning-related internal representations - absolute and signed prediction errors. We combined machine learning techniques with electroencephalography with both simple, direct indices of task performance and computational model-derived indices of learning. Our results demonstrate that just as people are more sensitive to low magnitude, near-threshold sensory stimuli in certain cardiac phases, so are they more sensitive to low magnitude absolute prediction errors in the same cycles. However, this occurs even when the low magnitude prediction errors are associated with clearly suprathreshold sensory events. In addition, participants exhibiting stronger differences in their prediction error representations between cardiac cycles exhibited higher learning rates and greater task accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa F Fouragnan
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK.
- Brain Research Imaging Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL6 8BU, UK.
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK.
| | - Billy Hosking
- Brain Research Imaging Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL6 8BU, UK
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Yin Cheung
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Brooke Prakash
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Matthew Rushworth
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Alejandra Sel
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
- Centre for Brain Science, Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
- Essex ESNEFT Psychological Research Unit for Behaviour, Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
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33
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Kim HJ, Lux BK, Lee E, Finn ES, Woo CW. Brain decoding of spontaneous thought: Predictive modeling of self-relevance and valence using personal narratives. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2401959121. [PMID: 38547065 PMCID: PMC10998624 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2401959121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The contents and dynamics of spontaneous thought are important factors for personality traits and mental health. However, assessing spontaneous thoughts is challenging due to their unconstrained nature, and directing participants' attention to report their thoughts may fundamentally alter them. Here, we aimed to decode two key content dimensions of spontaneous thought-self-relevance and valence-directly from brain activity. To train functional MRI-based predictive models, we used individually generated personal stories as stimuli in a story-reading task to mimic narrative-like spontaneous thoughts (n = 49). We then tested these models on multiple test datasets (total n = 199). The default mode, ventral attention, and frontoparietal networks played key roles in the predictions, with the anterior insula and midcingulate cortex contributing to self-relevance prediction and the left temporoparietal junction and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex contributing to valence prediction. Overall, this study presents brain models of internal thoughts and emotions, highlighting the potential for the brain decoding of spontaneous thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Ji Kim
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon16419, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon16419, South Korea
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon16419, South Korea
| | - Byeol Kim Lux
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon16419, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon16419, South Korea
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, NH03755
| | - Eunjin Lee
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon16419, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon16419, South Korea
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon16419, South Korea
| | - Emily S. Finn
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, NH03755
| | - Choong-Wan Woo
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon16419, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon16419, South Korea
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon16419, South Korea
- Life-inspired Neural Network for Prediction and Optimization Research Group, Suwon16419, South Korea
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34
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Jaiswal S, Chakravarthula LNC, Padmala S. Additive Effects of Monetary Loss and Positive Emotion in the Human Brain. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0374-23.2024. [PMID: 38565297 PMCID: PMC11026344 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0374-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
In many real-life scenarios, our decisions could lead to multiple outcomes that conflict with value. Hence, an appropriate neural representation of the net experienced value of conflicting outcomes, which play a crucial role in guiding future decisions, is critical for adaptive behavior. As some recent functional neuroimaging work has primarily focused on the concurrent processing of monetary gains and aversive information, very little is known regarding the integration of conflicting value signals involving monetary losses and appetitive information in the human brain. To address this critical gap, we conducted a functional MRI study involving healthy human male participants to examine the nature of integrating positive emotion and monetary losses. We employed a novel experimental design where the valence (positive or neutral) of an emotional stimulus indicated the type of outcome (loss or no loss) in a choice task. Specifically, we probed two plausible integration patterns while processing conflicting value signals involving positive emotion and monetary losses: interactive versus additive. We found overlapping main effects of positive (vs neutral) emotion and loss (vs no loss) in multiple brain regions, including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, striatum, and amygdala, notably with a lack of evidence for interaction. Thus, our findings revealed the additive integration pattern of monetary loss and positive emotion outcomes, suggesting that the experienced value of the monetary loss was not modulated by the valence of the image signaling those outcomes. These findings contribute to our limited understanding of the nature of integrating conflicting outcomes in the healthy human brain with potential clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagarika Jaiswal
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka 560012, India
| | | | - Srikanth Padmala
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka 560012, India
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Markman M, Saruco E, Al-Bas S, Wang BA, Rose J, Ohla K, Xue Li Lim S, Schicker D, Freiherr J, Weygandt M, Rramani Q, Weber B, Schultz J, Pleger B. Differences in Discounting Behavior and Brain Responses for Food and Money Reward. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0153-23.2024. [PMID: 38569920 PMCID: PMC10993202 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0153-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Most neuroeconomic research seeks to understand how value influences decision-making. The influence of reward type is less well understood. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate delay discounting of primary (i.e., food) and secondary rewards (i.e., money) in 28 healthy, normal-weighted participants (mean age = 26.77; 18 females). To decipher differences in discounting behavior between reward types, we compared how well-different option-based statistical models (exponential, hyperbolic discounting) and attribute-wise heuristic choice models (intertemporal choice heuristic, dual reasoning and implicit framework theory, trade-off model) captured the reward-specific discounting behavior. Contrary to our hypothesis of different strategies for different rewards, we observed comparable discounting behavior for money and food (i.e., exponential discounting). Higher k values for food discounting suggest that individuals decide more impulsive if confronted with food. The fMRI revealed that money discounting was associated with enhanced activity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, involved in executive control; the right dorsal striatum, associated with reward processing; and the left hippocampus, involved in memory encoding/retrieval. Food discounting, instead, was associated with higher activity in the left temporoparietal junction suggesting social reinforcement of food decisions. Although our findings do not confirm our hypothesis of different discounting strategies for different reward types, they are in line with the notion that reward types have a significant influence on impulsivity with primary rewards leading to more impulsive choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Markman
- Department of Neurology, BG University Clinic Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44869, Germany
| | - E Saruco
- Department of Neurology, BG University Clinic Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44869, Germany
| | - S Al-Bas
- Department of Neurology, BG University Clinic Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44869, Germany
| | - B A Wang
- Department of Neurology, BG University Clinic Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44869, Germany
| | - J Rose
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44801, Germany
| | - K Ohla
- Firmenich SA, Satigny 1242, Switzerland
- NutriAct-Competence Cluster Nutrition Research Berlin-Potsdam, Nuthetal 14558, Germany
| | - S Xue Li Lim
- NutriAct-Competence Cluster Nutrition Research Berlin-Potsdam, Nuthetal 14558, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience (INM-3), Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Research Center Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
| | - D Schicker
- Sensory Analytics & Technologies, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Freising 85354, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - J Freiherr
- Sensory Analytics & Technologies, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Freising 85354, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - M Weygandt
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10115, Germany
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Berlin 13125, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Q Rramani
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience (CENs), University of Bonn, Bonn 53113, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), University of Bonn, Bonn 53127, Germany
| | - B Weber
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience (CENs), University of Bonn, Bonn 53113, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), University of Bonn, Bonn 53127, Germany
| | - J Schultz
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience (CENs), University of Bonn, Bonn 53113, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), University of Bonn, Bonn 53127, Germany
| | - B Pleger
- Department of Neurology, BG University Clinic Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44869, Germany
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Barendse MEA, Swartz JR, Taylor SL, Fine JR, Shirtcliff EA, Yoon L, McMillan SJ, Tully LM, Guyer AE. Sex and pubertal variation in reward-related behavior and neural activation in early adolescents. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 66:101358. [PMID: 38401329 PMCID: PMC10904160 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to characterize the role of sex and pubertal markers in reward motivation behavior and neural processing in early adolescence. We used baseline and two-year follow-up data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentSM study (15844 observations; 52% from boys; age 9-13). Pubertal development was measured with parent-reported Pubertal Development Scale, and DHEA, testosterone, and estradiol levels. Reward motivation behavior and neural processing at anticipation and feedback stages were assessed with the Monetary Incentive Delay task. Boys had higher reward motivation than girls, demonstrating greater accuracy difference between reward and neutral trials and higher task earnings. Girls had lower neural activation during reward feedback than boys in the nucleus accumbens, caudate, rostral anterior cingulate, medial orbitofrontal cortex, superior frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate. Pubertal stage and testosterone levels were positively associated with reward motivation behavior, although these associations changed when controlling for age. There were no significant associations between pubertal development and neural activation during reward anticipation and feedback. Sex differences in reward-related processing exist in early adolescence, signaling the need to understand their impact on typical and atypical functioning as it unfolds into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E A Barendse
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - J R Swartz
- Department of Human Ecology, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - S L Taylor
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - J R Fine
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - L Yoon
- Center for Mind and Brain, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - S J McMillan
- Department of Human Ecology, UC Davis, CA, USA; Center for Mind and Brain, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - L M Tully
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - A E Guyer
- Department of Human Ecology, UC Davis, CA, USA; Center for Mind and Brain, UC Davis, CA, USA.
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37
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Aberg KC, Paz R. The neurobehavioral correlates of exploration without learning: Trading off value for explicit, prospective, and variable information gains. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113880. [PMID: 38416639 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Exploration is typically motivated by gaining information, with previous research showing that potential information gains drive a "directed" type of exploration. Yet, this research usually studies exploration in the context of learning paradigms and does not directly manipulate multiple levels of information gain. Here, we present a task that isolates learning from decision-making and controls the magnitude of prospective information gains. As predicted, participants explore more with larger future information gains. Both value gains and information gains, at a trial-by-trial level, engage the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), the ventral striatum (VStr), the amygdala, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), and the anterior insula (aINS). Moreover, individual sensitivities to value gains and information gains modulate the vmPFC, dACC, and aINS, but the amygdala and VStr are modulated only by individual sensitivities to information gains. Overall, we identify the neural circuitry of information-based exploration and its relationship with inter-individual exploration biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristoffer C Aberg
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
| | - Rony Paz
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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38
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Wiehler A, Peters J. Decomposition of Reinforcement Learning Deficits in Disordered Gambling via Drift Diffusion Modeling and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. COMPUTATIONAL PSYCHIATRY (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 8:23-45. [PMID: 38774428 PMCID: PMC11104325 DOI: 10.5334/cpsy.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Gambling disorder is associated with deficits in reward-based learning, but the underlying computational mechanisms are still poorly understood. Here, we examined this issue using a stationary reinforcement learning task in combination with computational modeling and functional resonance imaging (fMRI) in individuals that regular participate in gambling (n = 23, seven fulfilled one to three DSM 5 criteria for gambling disorder, sixteen fulfilled four or more) and matched controls (n = 23). As predicted, the gambling group exhibited substantially reduced accuracy, whereas overall response times (RTs) were not reliably different between groups. We then used comprehensive modeling using reinforcement learning drift diffusion models (RLDDMs) in combination with hierarchical Bayesian parameter estimation to shed light on the computational underpinnings of this performance deficit. In both groups, an RLDDM in which both non-decision time and decision threshold (boundary separation) changed over the course of the experiment accounted for the data best. The model showed good parameter and model recovery, and posterior predictive checks revealed that, in both groups, the model accurately reproduced the evolution of accuracies and RTs over time. Modeling revealed that, compared to controls, the learning impairment in the gambling group was linked to a more rapid reduction in decision thresholds over time, and a reduced impact of value-differences on the drift rate. The gambling group also showed shorter non-decision times. FMRI analyses replicated effects of prediction error coding in the ventral striatum and value coding in the ventro-medial prefrontal cortex, but there was no credible evidence for group differences in these effects. Taken together, our findings show that reinforcement learning impairments in disordered gambling are linked to both maladaptive decision threshold adjustments and a reduced consideration of option values in the choice process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonius Wiehler
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités Paris, France
| | - Jan Peters
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Díaz-Gutiérrez P, Boone C, Vyas H, Declerck CH. Neural asymmetry in aligning with generous versus selfish descriptive norms in a charitable donation task. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5793. [PMID: 38461360 PMCID: PMC10924952 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55688-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Social alignment is supported by the brain's reward system (ventral striatum), presumably because attaining synchrony generates feelings of connectedness. However, this may hold only for aligning with generous others, while aligning with selfishness might threaten social connectedness. We investigated this postulated asymmetry in an incentivized fMRI charitable donation task. Participants decided how much of their endowment to donate to real charities, and how much to keep for themselves. Compared to a baseline condition, donations significantly increased or decreased in function of the presence of descriptive norms. The fMRI data reveal that processing selfish norms (more than generous ones) recruited the amygdala and anterior insula. Aligning with selfish norms correlated on average with reduced activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and, at the individual level, with decreasing activity in the ventral striatum (VS). Conversely, as participants aligned more with generous norms, they showed increasing activity in the LPFC and, on average, increased activity in the VS. This increase occurred beyond the increased VS activity which was also observed in the baseline condition. Taken together, this suggests that aligning with generosity, while effortful, provides a "warm glow of herding" associated with collective giving, but that aligning with selfishness does not.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christophe Boone
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Harshil Vyas
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Carolyn H Declerck
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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40
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Man V, Cockburn J, Flouty O, Gander PE, Sawada M, Kovach CK, Kawasaki H, Oya H, Howard Iii MA, O'Doherty JP. Temporally organized representations of reward and risk in the human brain. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2162. [PMID: 38461343 PMCID: PMC10924934 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46094-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The value and uncertainty associated with choice alternatives constitute critical features relevant for decisions. However, the manner in which reward and risk representations are temporally organized in the brain remains elusive. Here we leverage the spatiotemporal precision of intracranial electroencephalography, along with a simple card game designed to elicit the unfolding computation of a set of reward and risk variables, to uncover this temporal organization. Reward outcome representations across wide-spread regions follow a sequential order along the anteroposterior axis of the brain. In contrast, expected value can be decoded from multiple regions at the same time, and error signals in both reward and risk domains reflect a mixture of sequential and parallel encoding. We further highlight the role of the anterior insula in generalizing between reward prediction error and risk prediction error codes. Together our results emphasize the importance of neural dynamics for understanding value-based decisions under uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Man
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
| | - Jeffrey Cockburn
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Oliver Flouty
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33606, USA
| | - Phillip E Gander
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Masahiro Sawada
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Christopher K Kovach
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Hiroto Kawasaki
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Hiroyuki Oya
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Matthew A Howard Iii
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - John P O'Doherty
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
- Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
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41
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Dugré JR, Potvin S. Functional Connectivity of the Nucleus Accumbens across Variants of Callous-Unemotional Traits: A Resting-State fMRI Study in Children and Adolescents. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:353-368. [PMID: 37878131 PMCID: PMC10896801 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01143-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
A large body of literature suggests that the primary (high callousness-unemotional traits [CU] and low anxiety) and secondary (high CU traits and anxiety) variants of psychopathy significantly differ in terms of their clinical profiles. However, little is known about their neurobiological differences. While few studies showed that variants differ in brain activity during fear processing, it remains unknown whether they also show atypical functioning in motivational and reward system. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was conducted on a large sample of adolescents (n = 1416) to identify variants based on their levels of callousness and anxiety. Seed-to-voxel connectivity analysis was subsequently performed on resting-state fMRI data to compare connectivity patterns of the nucleus accumbens across subgroups. LPA failed to identify the primary variant when using total score of CU traits. Using a family-wise cluster correction, groups did not differ on functional connectivity. However, at an uncorrected threshold the secondary variant showed distinct functional connectivity between the nucleus accumbens and posterior insula, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, supplementary motor area, and parietal regions. Secondary LPA analysis using only the callousness subscale successfully distinguish both variants. Group differences replicated results of deficits in functional connectivity between the nucleus accumbens and posterior insula and supplementary motor area, but additionally showed effect in the superior temporal gyrus which was specific to the primary variant. The current study supports the importance of examining the neurobiological markers across subgroups of adolescents at risk for conduct problems to precise our understanding of this heterogeneous population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jules Roger Dugré
- School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, England.
| | - Stéphane Potvin
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Hochelaga, Montreal, 7331, H1N 3V2, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
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42
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Lyu 吕奕洲 Y, Su 苏紫杉 Z, Neumann D, Meidenbauer KL, Leong 梁元彰 YC. Hostile Attribution Bias Shapes Neural Synchrony in the Left Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex during Ambiguous Social Narratives. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1252232024. [PMID: 38316561 PMCID: PMC10904091 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1252-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Hostile attribution bias refers to the tendency to interpret social situations as intentionally hostile. While previous research has focused on its developmental origins and behavioral consequences, the underlying neural mechanisms remain underexplored. Here, we employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate the neural correlates of hostile attribution bias. While undergoing fNIRS, male and female participants listened to and provided attribution ratings for 21 hypothetical scenarios where a character's actions resulted in a negative outcome for the listener. Ratings of hostile intentions were averaged to measure hostile attribution bias. Using intersubject representational similarity analysis, we found that participants with similar levels of hostile attribution bias exhibited higher levels of neural synchrony during narrative listening, suggesting shared interpretations of the scenarios. This effect was localized to the left ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and was particularly prominent in scenarios where the character's intentions were highly ambiguous. We then grouped participants into high and low bias groups based on a median split of their hostile attribution bias scores. A similarity-based classifier trained on the neural data classified participants as having high or low bias with 75% accuracy, indicating that the neural time courses during narrative listening was systematically different between the two groups. Furthermore, hostile attribution bias correlated negatively with attributional complexity, a measure of one's tendency to consider multifaceted causes when explaining behavior. Our study sheds light on the neural mechanisms underlying hostile attribution bias and highlights the potential of using fNIRS to develop nonintrusive and cost-effective neural markers of this sociocognitive bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhou Lyu 吕奕洲
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, Illinois
| | - Zishan Su 苏紫杉
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, Illinois
| | - Dawn Neumann
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202, Indiana
| | | | - Yuan Chang Leong 梁元彰
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, Illinois
- Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, Illinois
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43
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Zhou Y, Han S, Kang P, Tobler PN, Hein G. The social transmission of empathy relies on observational reinforcement learning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313073121. [PMID: 38381794 PMCID: PMC10907261 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313073121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Theories of moral development propose that empathy is transmitted across individuals. However, the mechanisms through which empathy is socially transmitted remain unclear. Here, we combine computational learning models and functional MRI to investigate whether, and if so, how empathic and non-empathic responses observed in others affect the empathy of female observers. The results of three independent studies showed that watching empathic or non-empathic responses generates a learning signal that respectively increases or decreases empathy ratings of the observer. A fourth study revealed that the learning-related transmission of empathy is stronger when observing human rather than computer demonstrators. Finally, we show that the social transmission of empathy alters empathy-related responses in the anterior insula, i.e., the same region that correlated with empathy baseline ratings, as well as its functional connectivity with the temporoparietal junction. Together, our findings provide a computational and neural mechanism for the social transmission of empathy that accounts for changes in individual empathic responses in empathic and non-empathic social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Pyungwon Kang
- Department of Economics and Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, University of Zurich and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich CH-8006, Switzerland
| | - Philippe N. Tobler
- Department of Economics and Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, University of Zurich and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich CH-8006, Switzerland
| | - Grit Hein
- Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany
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44
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Keidel K, Schröder R, Trautner P, Radbruch A, Murawski C, Ettinger U. The date/delay effect in intertemporal choice: A combined fMRI and eye-tracking study. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26585. [PMID: 38401135 PMCID: PMC10893971 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Temporal discounting, the tendency to devalue future rewards as a function of delay until receipt, is influenced by time framing. Specifically, discount rates are shallower when the time at which the reward is received is presented as a date (date condition; e.g., June 8, 2023) rather than in delay units (delay condition; e.g., 30 days), which is commonly referred to as the date/delay effect. However, the cognitive and neural mechanisms of this effect are not well understood. Here, we examined the date/delay effect by analysing combined fMRI and eye-tracking data of N = 31 participants completing a temporal discounting task in both a delay and a date condition. The results confirmed the date/delay effect and revealed that the date condition led to higher fixation durations on time attributes and to higher activity in precuneus/PCC and angular gyrus, that is, areas previously associated with episodic thinking. Additionally, participants made more comparative eye movements in the date compared to the delay condition. A lower date/delay effect was associated with higher prefrontal activity in the date > delay contrast, suggesting that higher control or arithmetic operations may reduce the date/delay effect. Our findings are in line with hypotheses positing that the date condition is associated with differential time estimation and the use of more comparative as opposed to integrative choice strategies. Specifically, higher activity in memory-related brain areas suggests that the date condition leads to higher perceived proximity of delayed rewards, while higher frontal activity (middle/superior frontal gyrus, posterior medial frontal cortex, cingulate) in participants with a lower date/delay effect suggests that the effect is particularly pronounced in participants avoiding complex arithmetic operations in the date condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristof Keidel
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of BonnBonnGermany
- Department of Finance, Centre for Brain, Mind and MarketsThe University of MelbourneCarltonVictoriaAustralia
| | | | | | - Alexander Radbruch
- Clinic of NeuroradiologyUniversity HospitalBonnGermany
- Clinical Neuroimaging, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)BonnGermany
| | - Carsten Murawski
- Department of Finance, Centre for Brain, Mind and MarketsThe University of MelbourneCarltonVictoriaAustralia
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45
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Xu H, Luo L, Zhu R, Zhao Y, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Feng C, Guan Q. Common and distinct equity preferences in children and adults. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1330024. [PMID: 38420165 PMCID: PMC10899522 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1330024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Fairness plays a crucial role in children's social life and has garnered considerable attention. However, previous research and theories primarily examined the development of children's fairness behaviors in the conflict between self-interest motivation and fairness-complying motivation, neglecting the influence of advantage-seeking motivation. Moreover, despite the well-established role of gain/loss frame in human decision-making, it remains largely unclear whether the framing effect modulates fairness behaviors in children. It was hypothesized that children would exhibit advantage-seeking motivation resulting in more selfish behaviors in the loss context. To examine the hypothesis, we combined an adapted dictator game and computational modeling to investigate various motivations underlying fairness behaviors of children in both loss and gain contexts and to explore the developmental directions by contrasting children and adults. In addition, the current design enabled the dissociation between fairness knowledge and behaviors by asking participants to decide for themselves (the first-party role) or for others (the third-party role). This study recruited a total of 34 children (9-10 years, Mage = 9.82, SDage = 0.38, 16 females) and 31 college students (Mage = 19.81, SDage = 1.40, 17 females). The behavioral results indicated that children behaved more selfishly in first-party and more fairly in third-party than adults, without any significant framing effects. The computational results revealed that both children and adults exhibited aversion to advantageous and disadvantageous inequity in third-party. However, they showed distinct preferences for advantageous inequity in first-party, with advantage-seeking preferences among children and aversion to advantageous inequity among adults. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of children's social preferences and their developmental directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Xu
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lanxin Luo
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruida Zhu
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Luansu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunliang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Guan
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
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46
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Park S, Kim J, Kim S. Corticostriatal activity related to performance during continuous de novo motor learning. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3731. [PMID: 38355810 PMCID: PMC10867026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54176-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Corticostriatal regions play a pivotal role in visuomotor learning. However, less research has been done on how fMRI activity in their subregions is related to task performance, which is provided as visual feedback during motor learning. To address this, we conducted an fMRI experiment in which participants acquired a complex de novo motor skill using continuous or binary visual feedback related to performance. We found a highly selective response related to performance in the entire striatum in both conditions and a relatively higher response in the caudate nucleus for the binary feedback condition. However, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) response was significant only for the continuous feedback condition. Furthermore, we also found functional distinction of the striatal subregions in random versus goal-directed motor control. These findings underscore the substantial effects of the visual feedback indicating performance on distinct corticostriatal responses, thereby elucidating its significance in reinforcement-based motor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungbeen Park
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Junghyun Kim
- Department of Data Science, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungshin Kim
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Data Science, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, 2066 Seobu-Ro, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
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Nitsch A, Garvert MM, Bellmund JLS, Schuck NW, Doeller CF. Grid-like entorhinal representation of an abstract value space during prospective decision making. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1198. [PMID: 38336756 PMCID: PMC10858181 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45127-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
How valuable a choice option is often changes over time, making the prediction of value changes an important challenge for decision making. Prior studies identified a cognitive map in the hippocampal-entorhinal system that encodes relationships between states and enables prediction of future states, but does not inherently convey value during prospective decision making. In this fMRI study, participants predicted changing values of choice options in a sequence, forming a trajectory through an abstract two-dimensional value space. During this task, the entorhinal cortex exhibited a grid-like representation with an orientation aligned to the axis through the value space most informative for choices. A network of brain regions, including ventromedial prefrontal cortex, tracked the prospective value difference between options. These findings suggest that the entorhinal grid system supports the prediction of future values by representing a cognitive map, which might be used to generate lower-dimensional value signals to guide prospective decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Nitsch
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Mona M Garvert
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Research Group NeuroCode, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Aging Research, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jacob L S Bellmund
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicolas W Schuck
- Max Planck Research Group NeuroCode, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Aging Research, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian F Doeller
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Centre for Neural Computation, The Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits, Jebsen Centre for Alzheimer's Disease, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
- Wilhelm Wundt Institute for Psychology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
- Department of Psychology, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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Qiu H, Cao J, Wang R, Li X, Kuang L, Ouyang Z. Functional Abnormality of the Reward System in Depressed Adolescents and Young Adults with and without Suicidal Behavior. Brain Topogr 2024:10.1007/s10548-024-01036-4. [PMID: 38319504 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-024-01036-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify local and functional connectivity abnormalities in the brain's reward network in depressed adolescents and young adults with and without suicidal behavior. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained from 41 major depressive disorder (MDD) patients with suicidal behavior (sMDD, males/females: 12/29), 44 MDD patients without suicidal behavior (nMDD, males/females: 13/32), and 52 healthy controls (HCs, males/females: 17/35). The Young Mania Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, Columbia Suicide Scale, and Scale for Suicide Ideation were used to evaluate emotional state and suicidal ideation and behaviors. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity of 11 regions of interest (ROIs) in the reward network were determined. RESULTS ALFF values in the vmPFC of the nMDD group were significantly lower than those in the HC group (p = 0.031). The ReHo values of the nMDD group were lower in the lVS but higher in the vmPFC than those of the HC group (P = 0.018 and 0.025, respectively). Functional connectivity of the AC with the vmPFC, lVS, rVS, and vmPFC was increased in the sMDD group compared with that in the nMDD group (P = 0.038, 0.034, 0.006, respectively). CONCLUSION Local and functional connectivity abnormalities in the reward network were found in the MDD groups. However, increased functional connectivity was found in only the sMDD group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitang Qiu
- Department of Mental Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Jun Cao
- Department of Mental Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xinke Li
- College of Medical Informatics, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Li Kuang
- Department of Mental Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| | - Zhubin Ouyang
- Department of Mental Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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49
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Ji S, Yang F, Li X. Spontaneous neural activity in the three principal networks underlying delay discounting: a resting-state fMRI study. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1320830. [PMID: 38370559 PMCID: PMC10869524 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1320830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Delay discounting, the decline in the subjective value of future rewards over time, has traditionally been understood through a tripartite neural network model, comprising the valuation, cognitive control, and prospection networks. To investigate the applicability of this model in a resting-state context, we employed a monetary choice questionnaire to quantify delay discounting and utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to explore the role of spontaneous brain activity, specifically regional homogeneity (ReHo), in influencing individual differences in delay discounting across a large cohort (N = 257). Preliminary analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between delay discounting tendencies and the ReHo in both the left insula and the right hippocampus, respectively. Subsequent resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analyses, using these regions as seed ROIs, disclosed that all implicated brain regions conform to the three principal networks traditionally associated with delay discounting. Our findings offer novel insights into the role of spontaneous neural activity in shaping individual variations in delay discounting at both regional and network levels, providing the first empirical evidence supporting the applicability of the tripartite network model in a resting-state context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xueting Li
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
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50
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Zeng X, Han X, Zheng D, Jiang P, Yuan Z. Similarity and difference in large-scale functional network alternations between behavioral addictions and substance use disorder: a comparative meta-analysis. Psychol Med 2024; 54:473-487. [PMID: 38047402 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723003434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral addiction (BA) and substance use disorder (SUD) share similarities and differences in clinical symptoms, cognitive functions, and behavioral attributes. However, little is known about whether and how functional networks in the human brain manifest commonalities and differences between BA and SUD. Voxel-wise meta-analyses of resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) were conducted in BA and SUD separately, followed by quantitative conjunction analyses to identify the common and distinct alterations across both the BA and SUD groups. A total of 92 datasets with 2444 addicted patients and 2712 healthy controls (HCs) were eligible for the meta-analysis. Our findings demonstrated that BA and SUD exhibited common alterations in rs-FC between frontoparietal network (FPN) and other high-level neurocognitive networks (i.e. default mode network (DMN), affective network (AN), and salience network (SN)) as well as hyperconnectivity between SN seeds and the Rolandic operculum in SSN. In addition, compared with BA, SUD exhibited several distinct within- and between-network rs-FC alterations mainly involved in the DMN and FPN. Further, altered within- and between-network rs-FC showed significant association with clinical characteristics such as the severity of addiction in BA and duration of substance usage in SUD. The common rs-FC alterations in BA and SUD exhibited the relationship with consistent aberrant behaviors in both addiction groups, such as impaired inhibition control and salience attribution. By contrast, the distinct rs-FC alterations might suggest specific substance effects on the brain neural transmitter systems in SUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinglin Zeng
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078, China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078, China
| | - Xinyang Han
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Dong Zheng
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ping Jiang
- West China Medical Publishers, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhen Yuan
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078, China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078, China
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