1
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Duarte IC, Dionísio A, Oliveira J, Simões M, Correia R, Dias JA, Caldeira S, Redondo J, Castelo-Branco M. Neural underpinnings of ethical decisions in life and death dilemmas in naïve and expert firefighters. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13222. [PMID: 38851794 PMCID: PMC11162493 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63469-y] [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: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
When a single choice impacts on life outcomes, faculties to make ethical judgments come into play. Here we studied decisions in a real-life setting involving life-and-death outcomes that affect others and the decision-maker as well. We chose a genuine situation where prior training and expertise play a role: firefighting in life-threatening situations. By studying the neural correlates of dilemmas involving life-saving decisions, using realistic firefighting situations, allowed us to go beyond previously used hypothetical dilemmas, while addressing the role of expertise and the use of coping strategies (n = 47). We asked the question whether the neural underpinnings of deontologically based decisions are affected by expertise. These realistic life-saving dilemmas activate the same core reward and affective processing network, in particular the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens and amygdala, irrespective of prior expertise, thereby supporting general domain theories of ethical decision-making. We found that brain activity in the hippocampus and insula parametrically increased as the risk increased. Connectivity analysis showed a larger directed influence of the insula on circuits related to action selection in non-experts, which were slower than experts in non rescuing decisions. Relative neural activity related to the decision to rescue or not, in the caudate nucleus, insula and anterior cingulate cortex was negatively associated with coping strategies, in experts (firefighters) suggesting practice-based learning. This shows an association between activity and expert-related usage of coping strategies. Expertise enables salience network activation as a function of behavioural coping dimensions, with a distinct connectivity profile when facing life-rescuing dilemmas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel C Duarte
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Dionísio
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joana Oliveira
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine (FMUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Marco Simões
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Center for Informatics and Systems of University of Coimbra (CISUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rita Correia
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Center for Informatics and Systems of University of Coimbra (CISUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joana A Dias
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Salomé Caldeira
- Centre for Prevention and Treatment of Psychological Trauma (CPTTP), Department of Psychiatry, Coimbra University Hospital Centre (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Redondo
- Centre for Prevention and Treatment of Psychological Trauma (CPTTP), Department of Psychiatry, Coimbra University Hospital Centre (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- Faculty of Medicine (FMUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Katayama R, Shiraki R, Ishii S, Yoshida W. Belief inference for hierarchical hidden states in spatial navigation. Commun Biol 2024; 7:614. [PMID: 38773301 PMCID: PMC11109253 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06316-0] [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: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Uncertainty abounds in the real world, and in environments with multiple layers of unobservable hidden states, decision-making requires resolving uncertainties based on mutual inference. Focusing on a spatial navigation problem, we develop a Tiger maze task that involved simultaneously inferring the local hidden state and the global hidden state from probabilistically uncertain observation. We adopt a Bayesian computational approach by proposing a hierarchical inference model. Applying this to human task behaviour, alongside functional magnetic resonance brain imaging, allows us to separate the neural correlates associated with reinforcement and reassessment of belief in hidden states. The imaging results also suggest that different layers of uncertainty differentially involve the basal ganglia and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and that the regions responsible are organised along the rostral axis of these areas according to the type of inference and the level of abstraction of the hidden state, i.e. higher-order state inference involves more anterior parts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Risa Katayama
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
- Department of AI-Brain Integration, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, 619-0288, Japan.
| | - Ryo Shiraki
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Shin Ishii
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
- Neural Information Analysis Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, 619-0288, Japan
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Wako Yoshida
- Department of Neural Computation for Decision-Making, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, 619-0288, Japan
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Garlichs A, Blank H. Prediction error processing and sharpening of expected information across the face-processing hierarchy. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3407. [PMID: 38649694 PMCID: PMC11035707 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47749-9] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The perception and neural processing of sensory information are strongly influenced by prior expectations. The integration of prior and sensory information can manifest through distinct underlying mechanisms: focusing on unexpected input, denoted as prediction error (PE) processing, or amplifying anticipated information via sharpened representation. In this study, we employed computational modeling using deep neural networks combined with representational similarity analyses of fMRI data to investigate these two processes during face perception. Participants were cued to see face images, some generated by morphing two faces, leading to ambiguity in face identity. We show that expected faces were identified faster and perception of ambiguous faces was shifted towards priors. Multivariate analyses uncovered evidence for PE processing across and beyond the face-processing hierarchy from the occipital face area (OFA), via the fusiform face area, to the anterior temporal lobe, and suggest sharpened representations in the OFA. Our findings support the proposition that the brain represents faces grounded in prior expectations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annika Garlichs
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Helen Blank
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
den Ouden C, Zhou A, Mepani V, Kovács G, Vogels R, Feuerriegel D. Stimulus expectations do not modulate visual event-related potentials in probabilistic cueing designs. Neuroimage 2023; 280:120347. [PMID: 37648120 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans and other animals can learn and exploit repeating patterns that occur within their environments. These learned patterns can be used to form expectations about future sensory events. Several influential predictive coding models have been proposed to explain how learned expectations influence the activity of stimulus-selective neurons in the visual system. These models specify reductions in neural response measures when expectations are fulfilled (termed expectation suppression) and increases following surprising sensory events. However, there is currently scant evidence for expectation suppression in the visual system when confounding factors are taken into account. Effects of surprise have been observed in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signals, but not when using electrophysiological measures. To provide a strong test for expectation suppression and surprise effects we performed a predictive cueing experiment while recording electroencephalographic (EEG) data. Participants (n=48) learned cue-face associations during a training session and were then exposed to these cue-face pairs in a subsequent experiment. Using univariate analyses of face-evoked event-related potentials (ERPs) we did not observe any differences across expected (90% probability), neutral (50%) and surprising (10%) face conditions. Across these comparisons, Bayes factors consistently favoured the null hypothesis throughout the time-course of the stimulus-evoked response. When using multivariate pattern analysis we did not observe above-chance classification of expected and surprising face-evoked ERPs. By contrast, we found robust within- and across-trial stimulus repetition effects. Our findings do not support predictive coding-based accounts that specify reduced prediction error signalling when perceptual expectations are fulfilled. They instead highlight the utility of other types of predictive processing models that describe expectation-related phenomena in the visual system without recourse to prediction error signalling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carla den Ouden
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Andong Zhou
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Vinay Mepani
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gyula Kovács
- Institute of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Rufin Vogels
- Laboratorium voor Neuro- en Psychofysiologie, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Daniel Feuerriegel
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Barany DA, Lacey S, Matthews KL, Nygaard LC, Sathian K. Neural basis of sound-symbolic pseudoword-shape correspondences. Neuropsychologia 2023; 188:108657. [PMID: 37543139 PMCID: PMC10529692 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Non-arbitrary mapping between the sound of a word and its meaning, termed sound symbolism, is commonly studied through crossmodal correspondences between sounds and visual shapes, e.g., auditory pseudowords, like 'mohloh' and 'kehteh', are matched to rounded and pointed visual shapes, respectively. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a crossmodal matching task to investigate the hypotheses that sound symbolism (1) involves language processing; (2) depends on multisensory integration; (3) reflects embodiment of speech in hand movements. These hypotheses lead to corresponding neuroanatomical predictions of crossmodal congruency effects in (1) the language network; (2) areas mediating multisensory processing, including visual and auditory cortex; (3) regions responsible for sensorimotor control of the hand and mouth. Right-handed participants (n = 22) encountered audiovisual stimuli comprising a simultaneously presented visual shape (rounded or pointed) and an auditory pseudoword ('mohloh' or 'kehteh') and indicated via a right-hand keypress whether the stimuli matched or not. Reaction times were faster for congruent than incongruent stimuli. Univariate analysis showed that activity was greater for the congruent compared to the incongruent condition in the left primary and association auditory cortex, and left anterior fusiform/parahippocampal gyri. Multivoxel pattern analysis revealed higher classification accuracy for the audiovisual stimuli when congruent than when incongruent, in the pars opercularis of the left inferior frontal (Broca's area), the left supramarginal, and the right mid-occipital gyri. These findings, considered in relation to the neuroanatomical predictions, support the first two hypotheses and suggest that sound symbolism involves both language processing and multisensory integration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Barany
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia and Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Simon Lacey
- Department of Neurology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033-0859, USA; Department of Neural & Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033-0859, USA; Department of Psychology, Penn State College of Liberal Arts, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Kaitlyn L Matthews
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA; Present address: Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Lynne C Nygaard
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - K Sathian
- Department of Neurology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033-0859, USA; Department of Neural & Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033-0859, USA; Department of Psychology, Penn State College of Liberal Arts, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Picard F. Ecstatic or Mystical Experience through Epilepsy. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:1372-1381. [PMID: 37432752 PMCID: PMC10513764 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Ecstatic epilepsy is a rare form of focal epilepsy, so named because the seizures' first symptoms consist of an ecstatic/mystical experience, including feelings of increased self-awareness, mental clarity, and "unity with everything that exists," accompanied by a sense of bliss and physical well-being. In this perspective article, we first describe the phenomenology of ecstatic seizures, address their historical context, and describe the primary brain structure involved in the genesis of these peculiar epileptic seizures, the anterior insula. In the second part of the article, we move onto the possible neurocognitive underpinnings of ecstatic seizures. We first remind the reader of the insula's role in interoceptive processing and consciously experienced feelings, contextualized by the theory of predictive coding. This leads us to hypothesize that temporary disruptions to activity in the anterior insula could interrupt the generation of interoceptive prediction errors, and cause one to experience the absence of uncertainty, and thereby, a sense of bliss. The absence of interoceptive prediction errors would in fact mimic perfect prediction of the body's physiological state. This sudden clarity of bodily perception could explain the ecstatic quality of the experience, as the interoceptive system forms the basis for unified conscious experience. Our alternative hypothesis is that the anterior insula plays an overarching role in the processing of surprise and that the dysfunction caused by the epileptic discharge could interrupt any surprise exceeding expectations, resulting in a sense of complete control and oneness with the environment.
Collapse
|
8
|
Newton-Fenner A, Hewitt D, Henderson J, Roberts H, Mari T, Gu Y, Gorelkina O, Giesbrecht T, Fallon N, Roberts C, Stancak A. Economic value in the Brain: A meta-analysis of willingness-to-pay using the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak auction. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286969. [PMID: 37428744 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Forming and comparing subjective values (SVs) of choice options is a critical stage of decision-making. Previous studies have highlighted a complex network of brain regions involved in this process by utilising a diverse range of tasks and stimuli, varying in economic, hedonic and sensory qualities. However, the heterogeneity of tasks and sensory modalities may systematically confound the set of regions mediating the SVs of goods. To identify and delineate the core brain valuation system involved in processing SV, we utilised the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) auction, an incentivised demand-revealing mechanism which quantifies SV through the economic metric of willingness-to-pay (WTP). A coordinate-based activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis analysed twenty-four fMRI studies employing a BDM task (731 participants; 190 foci). Using an additional contrast analysis, we also investigated whether this encoding of SV would be invariant to the concurrency of auction task and fMRI recordings. A fail-safe number analysis was conducted to explore potential publication bias. WTP positively correlated with fMRI-BOLD activations in the left ventromedial prefrontal cortex with a sub-cluster extending into anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral ventral striatum, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right inferior frontal gyrus, and right anterior insula. Contrast analysis identified preferential engagement of the mentalizing-related structures in response to concurrent scanning. Together, our findings offer succinct empirical support for the core structures participating in the formation of SV, separate from the hedonic aspects of reward and evaluated in terms of WTP using BDM, and show the selective involvement of inhibition-related brain structures during active valuation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Newton-Fenner
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Institute of Risk and Uncertainty, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Danielle Hewitt
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica Henderson
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Roberts
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Tyler Mari
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Yiquan Gu
- Henley Business School, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Olga Gorelkina
- Management School, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Timo Giesbrecht
- Unilever, Research and Development, Port Sunlight, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Fallon
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Carl Roberts
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Andrej Stancak
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Institute of Risk and Uncertainty, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Barany DA, Lacey S, Matthews KL, Nygaard LC, Sathian K. Neural Basis Of Sound-Symbolic Pseudoword-Shape Correspondences. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.14.536865. [PMID: 37425853 PMCID: PMC10327042 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.14.536865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Non-arbitrary mapping between the sound of a word and its meaning, termed sound symbolism, is commonly studied through crossmodal correspondences between sounds and visual shapes, e.g., auditory pseudowords, like 'mohloh' and 'kehteh', are matched to rounded and pointed visual shapes, respectively. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a crossmodal matching task to investigate the hypotheses that sound symbolism (1) involves language processing; (2) depends on multisensory integration; (3) reflects embodiment of speech in hand movements. These hypotheses lead to corresponding neuroanatomical predictions of crossmodal congruency effects in (1) the language network; (2) areas mediating multisensory processing, including visual and auditory cortex; (3) regions responsible for sensorimotor control of the hand and mouth. Right-handed participants ( n = 22) encountered audiovisual stimuli comprising a simultaneously presented visual shape (rounded or pointed) and an auditory pseudoword ('mohloh' or 'kehteh') and indicated via a right-hand keypress whether the stimuli matched or not. Reaction times were faster for congruent than incongruent stimuli. Univariate analysis showed that activity was greater for the congruent compared to the incongruent condition in the left primary and association auditory cortex, and left anterior fusiform/parahippocampal gyri. Multivoxel pattern analysis revealed higher classification accuracy for the audiovisual stimuli when congruent than when incongruent, in the pars opercularis of the left inferior frontal (Broca's area), the left supramarginal, and the right mid-occipital gyri. These findings, considered in relation to the neuroanatomical predictions, support the first two hypotheses and suggest that sound symbolism involves both language processing and multisensory integration. HIGHLIGHTS fMRI investigation of sound-symbolic correspondences between auditory pseudowords and visual shapesFaster reaction times for congruent than incongruent audiovisual stimuliGreater activation in auditory and visual cortices for congruent stimuliHigher classification accuracy for congruent stimuli in language and visual areasSound symbolism involves language processing and multisensory integration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A. Barany
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia and Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Simon Lacey
- Department of Neurology, Penn State Colleges of Medicine and Liberal Arts, Hershey, PA 17033-0859, USA
- Department of Neural & Behavioral Sciences, Penn State Colleges of Medicine and Liberal Arts, Hershey, PA 17033-0859, USA
- Department of Psychology, Penn State Colleges of Medicine and Liberal Arts, Hershey, PA 17033-0859, USA
| | - Kaitlyn L. Matthews
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Present address: Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Lynne C. Nygaard
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - K. Sathian
- Department of Neurology, Penn State Colleges of Medicine and Liberal Arts, Hershey, PA 17033-0859, USA
- Department of Neural & Behavioral Sciences, Penn State Colleges of Medicine and Liberal Arts, Hershey, PA 17033-0859, USA
- Department of Psychology, Penn State Colleges of Medicine and Liberal Arts, Hershey, PA 17033-0859, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Loued-Khenissi L, Pfeiffer C, Saxena R, Adarsh S, Scaramuzza D. Microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision-making. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9727. [PMID: 37322248 PMCID: PMC10272216 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36775-0] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Does gravity affect decision-making? This question comes into sharp focus as plans for interplanetary human space missions solidify. In the framework of Bayesian brain theories, gravity encapsulates a strong prior, anchoring agents to a reference frame via the vestibular system, informing their decisions and possibly their integration of uncertainty. What happens when such a strong prior is altered? We address this question using a self-motion estimation task in a space analog environment under conditions of altered gravity. Two participants were cast as remote drone operators orbiting Mars in a virtual reality environment on board a parabolic flight, where both hyper- and microgravity conditions were induced. From a first-person perspective, participants viewed a drone exiting a cave and had to first predict a collision and then provide a confidence estimate of their response. We evoked uncertainty in the task by manipulating the motion's trajectory angle. Post-decision subjective confidence reports were negatively predicted by stimulus uncertainty, as expected. Uncertainty alone did not impact overt behavioral responses (performance, choice) differentially across gravity conditions. However microgravity predicted higher subjective confidence, especially in interaction with stimulus uncertainty. These results suggest that variables relating to uncertainty affect decision-making distinctly in microgravity, highlighting the possible need for automatized, compensatory mechanisms when considering human factors in space research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Loued-Khenissi
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Neuroscience Department, Medical School, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Christian Pfeiffer
- Robotics and Perception Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rupal Saxena
- Robotics and Perception Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shivam Adarsh
- Robotics and Perception Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Davide Scaramuzza
- Robotics and Perception Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wilzok N, Adamic EM, Khalsa SS, Croy I. Multidimensional assessment of anticipated and experienced interoceptive states. Physiol Behav 2023; 269:114265. [PMID: 37301492 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114265] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
As the sense of the body's internal state, interoception represents the afferent component of the brain-body feedback loop essential for linking internal sensation with body regulation, thereby minimizing erroneous feedback and maintaining homeostasis. The anticipation of potential future interoceptive states enables organisms to take regulatory actions to meet demands before they arise, and alterations of anticipation have been implicated in the pathophysiology of medical and psychiatric conditions. However, laboratory approaches operationalizing the anticipation of interoceptive states are missing. Therefore, we developed two interoceptive awareness paradigms, the Accuracy of Interoceptive Anticipation paradigm, and the Interoceptive Discrepancy paradigm, which we tested in 52 healthy participants on two sensory modalities: nociception and respiroception. Ten participants took part in a retest. The Accuracy of Interoceptive Anticipation paradigm focused on assessing how individuals anticipate and experience interoceptive stimuli of varying strengths. The Interoceptive Discrepancy paradigm extended this measure by manipulating previously learned expectations to induce discrepancies between anticipated and experienced stimuli. We found that anticipation and experience ratings successfully related to stimulus strength in both paradigms and modalities and were stable between test-retest. Furthermore, the Interoceptive Discrepancy paradigm successfully induced the expected discrepancies between anticipation and experience conditions, and discrepancy values were correlated across sensory modalities. Thus, both paradigms are valid and reliable tools for assessing the anticipation of future interoceptive states, and the Interoceptive Discrepancy paradigm is additionally suited to evaluate discrepancy awareness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Wilzok
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Emily M Adamic
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Sahib S Khalsa
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Ilona Croy
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of Clinical Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Site Jena-Magdeburg-Halle
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Dupont L, Santangelo V, Azevedo RT, Panasiti MS, Aglioti SM. Reputation risk during dishonest social decision-making modulates anterior insular and cingulate cortex activity and connectivity. Commun Biol 2023; 6:475. [PMID: 37120439 PMCID: PMC10148859 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04827-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
To explore the neural underpinnings of (dis)honest decision making under quasi-ecological conditions, we used an fMRI adapted version of a card game in which deceptive or truthful decisions are made to an opponent, with or without the risk of getting caught by them. Dishonest decisions were associated to increased activity in a cortico-subcortical circuit including the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), anterior insula (AI), left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, supplementary motor area, and right caudate. Crucially, deceptive immoral decisions under reputation risk enhanced activity of - and functional connectivity between - the bilateral ACC and left AI, suggesting the need for heightened emotional processing and cognitive control when making immoral decisions under reputation risk. Tellingly, more manipulative individuals required less involvement of the ACC during risky self-gain lies but more involvement during other-gain truths, pointing to the need of cognitive control only when going against one's own moral code.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lennie Dupont
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome and CLN2S@Sapienza, Italian Institute of Technology, Rome, Italy.
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
| | - Valerio Santangelo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences & Education, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Ruben T Azevedo
- Keynes College, School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | - Maria Serena Panasiti
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome and CLN2S@Sapienza, Italian Institute of Technology, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Maria Aglioti
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome and CLN2S@Sapienza, Italian Institute of Technology, Rome, Italy.
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Conceptualisation of Uncertainty in Decision Neuroscience Research: Do We Really Know What Types of Uncertainties The Measured Neural Correlates Relate To? Integr Psychol Behav Sci 2023; 57:88-116. [PMID: 35943682 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-022-09719-y] [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: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In the article "What are neural correlates neural correlates of?" published in the journal BioSocieties, Gabriel Abend points out that neuroscientists cannot avoid philosophical questions concerning the conceptualization and operationalization of social-psychological phenomena they deal with at the physiological level. In this article, we build on Abend's thesis and, through a systematic literature review of decision neuroscience studies, test it with the example of the social-psychological phenomenon of uncertainty in decision making. In this paper, we provide an overview of studies that appropriately attempt to conceptualise uncertainty, and then use these studies to analyse papers looking for neural correlates of uncertainty. Based on a systematic review of studies, we investigate what types of uncertainty authors in the field of decision neuroscience address and define, what criteria they use to distinguish between these types, what problems are associated with their conceptualization, and whether the neural correlates of different types of uncertainty can be accurately identified. The paper concludes that, particularly in the economic context, a collaboration between the natural and social sciences works well, and neuroscience studies use economic conceptualizations of uncertainty that are further developed by sophisticated decision tasks. However, the paper also highlights problematic aspects that obscure the understanding of the phenomena under study. These include the lack of criteria for distinguishing between different types of phenomena, the unclear use of the general concept of uncertainty, and the confusion of phenomena or their erroneous synonymous use.
Collapse
|
14
|
Blank H, Alink A, Büchel C. Multivariate functional neuroimaging analyses reveal that strength-dependent face expectations are represented in higher-level face-identity areas. Commun Biol 2023; 6:135. [PMID: 36725984 PMCID: PMC9892564 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04508-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Perception is an active inference in which prior expectations are combined with sensory input. It is still unclear how the strength of prior expectations is represented in the human brain. The strength, or precision, of a prior could be represented with its content, potentially in higher-level sensory areas. We used multivariate analyses of functional resonance imaging data to test whether expectation strength is represented together with the expected face in high-level face-sensitive regions. Participants were trained to associate images of scenes with subsequently presented images of different faces. Each scene predicted three faces, each with either low, intermediate, or high probability. We found that anticipation enhances the similarity of response patterns in the face-sensitive anterior temporal lobe to response patterns specifically associated with the image of the expected face. In contrast, during face presentation, activity increased for unexpected faces in a typical prediction error network, containing areas such as the caudate and the insula. Our findings show that strength-dependent face expectations are represented in higher-level face-identity areas, supporting hierarchical theories of predictive processing according to which higher-level sensory regions represent weighted priors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helen Blank
- grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Arjen Alink
- grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Büchel
- grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Shi T, Feng S, Zhou Z, Li F, Fu Y, Zhou W. Stress-altering anterior insular cortex activity affects risk decision-making behavior in mice of different sexes. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1094808. [PMID: 36761354 PMCID: PMC9902351 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1094808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress can affect people's judgment and make them take risky decisions. Abnormal decision-making behavior is a core symptom of psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. However, the neuronal mechanisms underlying such impairments are largely unknown. The anterior insular cortex (AIC) is a crucial structure to integrate sensory information with emotional and motivational states. These properties suggest that AIC can influence a subjective prediction in decision-making. In this study, we demonstrated that stressed mice prefer to take more risky choices than control mice using a gambling test. Manipulating the neural activity of AIC or selectively inhibiting the AIC-BLA pathway with chemogenetic intervention resulted in alterations in risk decision-making in mice. Different sexes may have different decision-making strategies in risky situations. Endogenous estrogen levels affect emotional cognition by modulating the stress system function in women. We observed decision-making behavior in mice of different sexes with or without stress experience. The result showed that female mice did not change their choice strategy with increasing risk/reward probability and performed a lower risk preference than male mice after stress. Using the pharmacological method, we bilaterally injected an estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist that resulted in more risky behavior and decreased synaptic plasticity in the AIC of female mice. Our study suggested that the AIC is a crucial region involved in stress-induced alteration of decision-making, and estrogen in the AIC may regulate decision-making behavior by regulating synaptic plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianyao Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Shufang Feng
- Department of Medical Psychology, The Third Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhonglin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Fengan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenxia Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Bretzke M, Vetter NC, Kohls G, Wahl H, Roessner V, Plichta MM, Buse J. Is loss avoidance differentially rewarding in adolescents versus adults? Differences in ventral striatum and anterior insula activation during the anticipation of potential monetary losses. Cogn Neurosci 2023; 14:36-49. [PMID: 35188088 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2022.2038555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Avoiding loss is a crucial, adaptive guide to human behavior. While previous developmental research has primarily focused on gaining rewards, less attention has been paid to loss processing and its avoidance. In daily life, it is often unknown how likely an action will result in a loss, making the role of uncertainty in loss processing particularly important. By using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the influence of varying outcome probabilities (12%, 34%, and 67%) on brain regions implicated in loss processing (ventral striatum (VS), anterior insula (AI)) by comparing 28 adolescents (10-18 years) and 24 adults (22-32 years) during the anticipation of potential monetary loss.Overall, results revealed slower RTs in adolescents compared to adults with both groups being faster in the experimental (monetary condition) vs. control trials (verbal condition). Fastest RTs were observed for the 67% outcome probability in both age groups. An age group × outcome probability interaction effect revealed the greatest differences between the groups for the 12% vs. the 67% outcome probability. Neurally, both age groups demonstrated a higher percent signal change in the VS and AI during the anticipation of potential monetary loss versus the verbal condition. However, adults demonstrated an even greater activation of VS and AI than adolescents during the anticipation of potential monetary loss, but not during the verbal condition. This may indicate that adolescents differ from adults regarding their experience of avoiding losing monetary rewards.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Bretzke
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nora C Vetter
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gregor Kohls
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hannes Wahl
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Neuroradiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael M Plichta
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Judith Buse
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Müller-Pinzler L, Czekalla N, Mayer AV, Schröder A, Stolz DS, Paulus FM, Krach S. Neurocomputational mechanisms of affected beliefs. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1241. [PMCID: PMC9663730 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04165-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe feedback people receive on their behavior shapes the process of belief formation and self-efficacy in mastering a particular task. However, the neural and computational mechanisms of how the subjective value of self-efficacy beliefs, and the corresponding affect, influence the learning process remain unclear. We investigated these mechanisms during self-efficacy belief formation using fMRI, pupillometry, and computational modeling, and by analyzing individual differences in affective experience. Biases in the formation of self-efficacy beliefs were associated with affect, pupil dilation, and neural activity within the anterior insula, amygdala, ventral tegmental area/ substantia nigra, and mPFC. Specifically, neural and pupil responses mapped the valence of the prediction errors in correspondence with individuals’ experienced affective states and learning biases during self-efficacy belief formation. Together with the functional connectivity dynamics of the anterior insula within this network, our results provide evidence for neural and computational mechanisms of how we arrive at affected beliefs.
Collapse
|
18
|
Zhong S, Shen J, Wang M, Mao Y, Du X, Ma J. Altered resting-state functional connectivity of insula in children with primary nocturnal enuresis. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:913489. [PMID: 35928018 PMCID: PMC9343997 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.913489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) is a common developmental condition in school-aged children. The objective is to better understand the pathophysiology of PNE by using insula-centered resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC). Methods We recruited 66 right-handed participants in our analysis, 33 with PNE and 33 healthy control (HC) children without enuresis matched for gender and age. Functional and structural MRI data were obtained from all the children. Seed-based rsFC was used to examine differences in insular functional connectivity between the PNE and HC groups. Correlation analyses were carried out to explore the relationship between abnormal insula-centered functional connectivity and clinical characteristics in the PNE group. Results Compared with HC children, the children with PNE demonstrated decreased left and right insular rsFC with the right medial superior frontal gyrus (SFG). In addition, the bilateral dorsal anterior insula (dAI) seeds also indicated the reduced rsFC with right medial SFG. Furthermore, the right posterior insula (PI) seed showed the weaker rsFC with the right medial SFG, while the left PI seed displayed the weaker rsFC with the right SFG. No statistically significant correlations were detected between aberrant insular rsFC and clinical variables (e.g., micturition desire awakening, bed-wetting frequency, and bladder volume) in results without global signal regression (GSR) in the PNE group. However, before and after setting age as a covariate, significant and positive correlations between bladder volume and the rsFC of the left dAI with right medial SFG and the rsFC of the right PI with right medial SFG were found in results with GSR in the PNE group. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this study explored the rsFC patterns of the insula in children with PNE for the first time. These results uncovered the abnormal rsFC of the insula with the medial prefrontal cortex without and with GSR in the PNE group, suggesting that dysconnectivity of the salience network (SN)-default mode network (DMN) may involve in the underlying pathophysiology of children with PNE. However, the inconsistent associations between bladder volume and dysconnectivity of the SN-DMN in results without and with GSR need further studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaogen Zhong
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiayao Shen
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengxing Wang
- College of Medical Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Mao
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoxia Du
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Ma
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Pan Y, Jin J, Wan Y, Wu Y, Wang F, Xu S, Zhu L, Xu J, Rao H. Beauty affects fairness: facial attractiveness alters neural responses to unfairness in the ultimatum game. Brain Imaging Behav 2022; 16:2497-2505. [PMID: 35821158 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00705-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] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Human faces consist of rich information for social interactions and facial attractiveness is a key dimension affecting social decisions. Previous studies have indicated that human players are less likely to refuse an unfair offer from proposers with high facial attractiveness in the Ultimatum Game (UG). However, the neural mechanisms underlying such beauty premium effect remain unclear. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and examined the effects of facial attractiveness on brain responses to fair and unfair offers in the UG. Behavioral data showed that subjects were overall prone to refuse unfair offers across conditions but were more likely to accept unfair offers from higher facial attractive proposers than those from lower facial attractive proposers. Imaging data showed that unfair offers induced greater activity in the anterior insula and medial prefrontal cortex (MePFC) compared to those in fair offers condition for both high and low facial attractive proposers. Moreover, the acceptance rate of unfair offers positively correlated with the MePFC activity for high facial attractive proposers and negatively correlated with the anterior insula activity for low facial attractive proposers. These findings suggest that facial attractiveness modulates brain responses to unfairness through altering the roles of emotion and cognitive motivation in social interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Pan
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia Jin
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Wan
- School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China
| | - Yujia Wu
- School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China
| | - Fenghua Wang
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sihua Xu
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lian Zhu
- School of Journalism and Communication, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Hengyi Rao
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China. .,Center for Functional Neuroimaging, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Quabs J, Caspers S, Schöne C, Mohlberg H, Bludau S, Dickscheid T, Amunts K. Cytoarchitecture, probability maps and segregation of the human insula. Neuroimage 2022; 260:119453. [PMID: 35809885 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The human insular cortex supports multifunctional integration including interoceptive, sensorimotor, cognitive and social-emotional processing. Different concepts of the underlying microstructure have been proposed over more than a century. However, a 3D map of the cytoarchitectonic segregation of the insula in standard reference space, that could be directly linked to neuroimaging experiments addressing different cognitive tasks, is not yet available. Here we analyzed the middle posterior and dorsal anterior insula with image analysis and a statistical mapping procedure to delineate cytoarchitectonic areas in ten human postmortem brains. 3D-probability maps of seven new areas with granular (Ig3, posterior), agranular (Ia1, posterior) and dysgranular (Id2-Id6, middle to dorsal anterior) cytoarchitecture have been calculated to represent the new areas in stereotaxic space. A hierarchical cluster analysis based on cytoarchitecture resulted in three distinct clusters in the superior posterior, inferior posterior and dorsal anterior insula, providing deeper insights into the structural organization of the insula. The maps are openly available to support future studies addressing relations between structure and function in the human insula.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julian Quabs
- C. and O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany.
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
| | - Claudia Schöne
- C. and O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hartmut Mohlberg
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Bludau
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
| | - Timo Dickscheid
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
| | - Katrin Amunts
- C. and O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Ott F, Legler E, Kiebel SJ. Forward planning driven by context-dependant conflict processing in anterior cingulate cortex. Neuroimage 2022; 256:119222. [PMID: 35447352 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119222] [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: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control and forward planning in particular is costly, and therefore must be regulated such that the amount of cognitive resources invested is adequate to the current situation. However, knowing in advance how beneficial forward planning will be in a given situation is hard. A way to know the exact value of planning would be to actually do it, which would ab initio defeat the purpose of regulating planning, i.e. the reduction of computational and time costs. One possible solution to this dilemma is that planning is regulated by learned associations between stimuli and the expected demand for planning. Such learning might be based on generalisation processes that cluster together stimulus states with similar control relevant properties into more general control contexts. In this way, the brain could infer the demand for planning, based on previous experience with situations that share some structural properties with the current situation. Here, we used a novel sequential task to test the hypothesis that people use control contexts to efficiently regulate their forward planning, using behavioural and functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Consistent with our hypothesis, reaction times increased with trial-by-trial conflict, where this increase was more pronounced in a context with a learned high demand for planning. Similarly, we found that fMRI activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) increased with conflict, and this increase was more pronounced in a context with generally high demand for planning. Taken together, the results indicate that the dACC integrates representations of planning demand at different levels of abstraction to regulate planning in an efficient and situation-appropriate way.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Ott
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Eric Legler
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan J Kiebel
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Katthagen T, Fromm S, Wieland L, Schlagenhauf F. Models of Dynamic Belief Updating in Psychosis-A Review Across Different Computational Approaches. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:814111. [PMID: 35492702 PMCID: PMC9039658 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.814111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand the dysfunctional mechanisms underlying maladaptive reasoning of psychosis, computational models of decision making have widely been applied over the past decade. Thereby, a particular focus has been on the degree to which beliefs are updated based on new evidence, expressed by the learning rate in computational models. Higher order beliefs about the stability of the environment can determine the attribution of meaningfulness to events that deviate from existing beliefs by interpreting these either as noise or as true systematic changes (volatility). Both, the inappropriate downplaying of important changes as noise (belief update too low) as well as the overly flexible adaptation to random events (belief update too high) were theoretically and empirically linked to symptoms of psychosis. Whereas models with fixed learning rates fail to adjust learning in reaction to dynamic changes, increasingly complex learning models have been adopted in samples with clinical and subclinical psychosis lately. These ranged from advanced reinforcement learning models, over fully Bayesian belief updating models to approximations of fully Bayesian models with hierarchical learning or change point detection algorithms. It remains difficult to draw comparisons across findings of learning alterations in psychosis modeled by different approaches e.g., the Hierarchical Gaussian Filter and change point detection. Therefore, this review aims to summarize and compare computational definitions and findings of dynamic belief updating without perceptual ambiguity in (sub)clinical psychosis across these different mathematical approaches. There was strong heterogeneity in tasks and samples. Overall, individuals with schizophrenia and delusion-proneness showed lower behavioral performance linked to failed differentiation between uninformative noise and environmental change. This was indicated by increased belief updating and an overestimation of volatility, which was associated with cognitive deficits. Correlational evidence for computational mechanisms and positive symptoms is still sparse and might diverge from the group finding of instable beliefs. Based on the reviewed studies, we highlight some aspects to be considered to advance the field with regard to task design, modeling approach, and inclusion of participants across the psychosis spectrum. Taken together, our review shows that computational psychiatry offers powerful tools to advance our mechanistic insights into the cognitive anatomy of psychotic experiences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Katthagen
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sophie Fromm
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lara Wieland
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
| | - Florian Schlagenhauf
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Nencha U, Spinelli L, Vulliemoz S, Seeck M, Picard F. Insular Stimulation Produces Mental Clarity and Bliss. Ann Neurol 2021; 91:289-292. [PMID: 34877703 PMCID: PMC9300149 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
For the first time, an ecstatic aura has been evoked through the electrical stimulation of the dorsal anterior insula during presurgical invasive intracerebral monitoring in a patient who did not suffer from an ecstatic form of epilepsy. This case provides more evidence that the anterior insula is the major generator of such a mystical‐type experience even in individuals with no underlying brain network changes related to a preexisting ecstatic epilepsy. ANN NEUROL 2022;91:289–292
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Umberto Nencha
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital and Medical School of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Spinelli
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital and Medical School of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Serge Vulliemoz
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital and Medical School of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Margitta Seeck
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital and Medical School of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Fabienne Picard
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital and Medical School of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Liakoni V, Lehmann MP, Modirshanechi A, Brea J, Lutti A, Gerstner W, Preuschoff K. Brain signals of a Surprise-Actor-Critic model: Evidence for multiple learning modules in human decision making. Neuroimage 2021; 246:118780. [PMID: 34875383 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning how to reach a reward over long series of actions is a remarkable capability of humans, and potentially guided by multiple parallel learning modules. Current brain imaging of learning modules is limited by (i) simple experimental paradigms, (ii) entanglement of brain signals of different learning modules, and (iii) a limited number of computational models considered as candidates for explaining behavior. Here, we address these three limitations and (i) introduce a complex sequential decision making task with surprising events that allows us to (ii) dissociate correlates of reward prediction errors from those of surprise in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); and (iii) we test behavior against a large repertoire of model-free, model-based, and hybrid reinforcement learning algorithms, including a novel surprise-modulated actor-critic algorithm. Surprise, derived from an approximate Bayesian approach for learning the world-model, is extracted in our algorithm from a state prediction error. Surprise is then used to modulate the learning rate of a model-free actor, which itself learns via the reward prediction error from model-free value estimation by the critic. We find that action choices are well explained by pure model-free policy gradient, but reaction times and neural data are not. We identify signatures of both model-free and surprise-based learning signals in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses, supporting the existence of multiple parallel learning modules in the brain. Our results extend previous fMRI findings to a multi-step setting and emphasize the role of policy gradient and surprise signalling in human learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Liakoni
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Marco P Lehmann
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alireza Modirshanechi
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johanni Brea
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Lutti
- Laboratoire de recherche en neuroimagerie (LREN), Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Wulfram Gerstner
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kerstin Preuschoff
- Geneva Finance Research Institute & Interfaculty Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Conner LB, Horta M, Ebner NC, Lighthall NR. Value network engagement and effects of memory-related processing during encoding and retrieval of value. Brain Cogn 2021; 152:105754. [PMID: 34052683 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2021.105754] [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: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Decision makers rely on episodic memory to calculate choice values in everyday life, yet it is unclear how neural mechanisms of valuation differ when value-related information is encoded versus retrieved from episodic memory. The current fMRI study compared neural correlates of value while information was encoded versus retrieved from memory. Scanned tasks were followed by a behavioral episodic memory test for item-attribute associations. Our analyses sought to (i) identify neural correlates of value that were distinct and common across encoding and retrieval, and (ii) determine whether neural mechanisms of valuation and episodic memory interact. The study yielded three primary findings. First, value-related activation in the fronto-striatal reward circuit and posterior parietal cortex was comparable across valuation phases. Second, value-related activation in select fronto-parietal and salience regions was significantly greater at value retrieval than encoding. Third, there was no interaction between neural correlates of valuation and episodic memory. Taken with prior research, the present study indicates that fronto-parietal and salience regions play a key role in retrieval-dependent valuation and context-specific effects likely determine whether neural correlates of value interact with episodic memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay B Conner
- Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
| | - Marilyn Horta
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Natalie C Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Nichole R Lighthall
- Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Liakoni V, Modirshanechi A, Gerstner W, Brea J. Learning in Volatile Environments With the Bayes Factor Surprise. Neural Comput 2021; 33:269-340. [PMID: 33400898 DOI: 10.1162/neco_a_01352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Surprise-based learning allows agents to rapidly adapt to nonstationary stochastic environments characterized by sudden changes. We show that exact Bayesian inference in a hierarchical model gives rise to a surprise-modulated trade-off between forgetting old observations and integrating them with the new ones. The modulation depends on a probability ratio, which we call the Bayes Factor Surprise, that tests the prior belief against the current belief. We demonstrate that in several existing approximate algorithms, the Bayes Factor Surprise modulates the rate of adaptation to new observations. We derive three novel surprise-based algorithms, one in the family of particle filters, one in the family of variational learning, and one in the family of message passing, that have constant scaling in observation sequence length and particularly simple update dynamics for any distribution in the exponential family. Empirical results show that these surprise-based algorithms estimate parameters better than alternative approximate approaches and reach levels of performance comparable to computationally more expensive algorithms. The Bayes Factor Surprise is related to but different from the Shannon Surprise. In two hypothetical experiments, we make testable predictions for physiological indicators that dissociate the Bayes Factor Surprise from the Shannon Surprise. The theoretical insight of casting various approaches as surprise-based learning, as well as the proposed online algorithms, may be applied to the analysis of animal and human behavior and to reinforcement learning in nonstationary environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Liakoni
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alireza Modirshanechi
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Wulfram Gerstner
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johanni Brea
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Schulreich S, Schwabe L. Causal Role of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Belief Updating under Uncertainty. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:184-200. [PMID: 32820317 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive performance in uncertain environments depends on the ability to continuously update internal beliefs about environmental states. Recent correlative evidence suggests that a frontoparietal network including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) supports belief updating under uncertainty, but whether the dlPFC serves a "causal" role in this process is currently not clear. To elucidate its contribution, we leveraged transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the right dlPFC, while 91 participants performed an incentivized belief-updating task. Participants also underwent a psychosocial stress or control manipulation to investigate the role of stress, which is known to modulate dlPFC functioning. We observed enhanced monetary value updating after anodal tDCS when it was normatively expected from a Bayesian perspective. A model-based analysis indicates that this effect was driven by belief updating. However, we also observed enhanced non-normative value updating, which might have been driven instead by expectancy violation. Enhanced normative and non-normative value updating reflected increased vs. decreased Bayesian rationality, respectively. Furthermore, cortisol increases were associated with enhanced positive, but not with negative, value updating. The present study thereby sheds light on the causal role of the right dlPFC in the remarkable human ability to navigate uncertain environments by continuously updating prior knowledge following new evidence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Schulreich
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Loued-Khenissi L, Preuschoff K. A Bird's eye view from below: Activity in the temporo-parietal junction predicts from-above Necker Cube percepts. Neuropsychologia 2020; 149:107654. [PMID: 33069790 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) consistently emerges in other-regarding behavior, including tasks probing affective phenomena such as morality and empathy. Yet the TPJ is also recruited in processes with no affective or social component, such as visuo-spatial processing and mathematical cognition. We present serendipitous findings from a perceptual decision-making task on a bistable stimulus, the Necker Cube, performed in an MRI scanner. The stimulus in question is a transparent, wire-frame cube that evokes spontaneous switches in perception. Individuals can view the cube from below or from above, though a consistent bias is shown towards seeing the cube from above. We replicate this bias, finding participants spend more time in the from-above percept. However, in testing for BOLD differences between percept orientations, we found robust responses in bilateral TPJ for the from-above > from-below perceptual state. We speculate that this neural response comes from the sensory incongruence of viewing an object from above while lying supine in the scanner. We further speculate that the TPJ resolves this incongruence by facilitating an egocentric projection. Such a function would explain the TPJ's ubiquitous response to other-regarding, visuo-spatial and mathematical cognition, as all these phenomena demand an ability to ambulate through the coordinate space. Our findings suggest the TPJ may not play a specific role in social or moral components of other-regarding behavior, such as altruism, and further indirectly suggest that "pure", allocentric altruism may not correlate with the TPJ. Results further have implications on how the TPJ may be modulated by activities such as flight or drone operation. Finally, this study highlights the possible need for congruence between stimuli and body position in neuroimaging studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Loued-Khenissi
- Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Kerstin Preuschoff
- Geneva Finance Research Institute, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Loued-Khenissi L, Preuschoff K. Information Theoretic Characterization of Uncertainty Distinguishes Surprise From Accuracy Signals in the Brain. Front Artif Intell 2020; 3:5. [PMID: 33733125 PMCID: PMC7861235 DOI: 10.3389/frai.2020.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncertainty presents a problem for both human and machine decision-making. While utility maximization has traditionally been viewed as the motive force behind choice behavior, it has been theorized that uncertainty minimization may supersede reward motivation. Beyond reward, decisions are guided by belief, i.e., confidence-weighted expectations. Evidence challenging a belief evokes surprise, which signals a deviation from expectation (stimulus-bound surprise) but also provides an information gain. To support the theory that uncertainty minimization is an essential drive for the brain, we probe the neural trace of uncertainty-related decision variables, namely confidence, surprise, and information gain, in a discrete decision with a deterministic outcome. Confidence and surprise were elicited with a gambling task administered in a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment, where agents start with a uniform probability distribution, transition to a non-uniform probabilistic state, and end in a fully certain state. After controlling for reward expectation, we find confidence, taken as the negative entropy of a trial, correlates with a response in the hippocampus and temporal lobe. Stimulus-bound surprise, taken as Shannon information, correlates with responses in the insula and striatum. In addition, we also find a neural response to a measure of information gain captured by a confidence error, a quantity we dub accuracy. BOLD responses to accuracy were found in the cerebellum and precuneus, after controlling for reward prediction errors and stimulus-bound surprise at the same time point. Our results suggest that, even absent an overt need for learning, the human brain expends energy on information gain and uncertainty minimization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Loued-Khenissi
- Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kerstin Preuschoff
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Geneva Finance Research Institute, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|