Reward contingencies and the recalibration of task monitoring and reward systems: a high-density electrical mapping study

Distinct influence of inter- versus intra-trial feedback on the brain response to subsequent feedback: Evidence from event-related potentials

Substantial evidence indicates that feedback processing not only varies with the valence of feedback, but is also highly dependent on contextual factors. Even so, the influence of prior outcome history on current outcome evaluation is far from clear. To investigate this issue, we conducted two event-related potential (ERP) experiments using a modified gambling task whereby each trial was associated with two consequences. In experiment 1, two instances of feedback indicated participant performance on two dimensions of a single decision, within a trial. In experiment 2, participants made two decisions in each trial, and then received two instances of feedback. We examined the feedback-related negativity (FRN) as an index of feedback processing. When both instances of feedback were relevant to the same trial (intra-trial), the FRN to the second was affected by the valence of the immediately previous feedback: The FRN was amplified to losses following wins. This was observed in both experiment 1 and experiment 2. When two instances of feedback were relevant to two different trials (inter-trial), the effect of immediately previous feedback on the FRN was inconsistent. In experiment 1 there was no effect of feedback from the previous trial on the FRN. However, in Experiment 2 there was an effect of inter-trial feedback on the FRN that was opposite to the effect of intra-trial feedback: The FRN was amplified when losses followed losses. Taken together, the findings suggest that the neural systems involved in reward processing dynamically and continuously integrate preceding feedback for the evaluation of present feedback.

Investigating anticipatory processes during sequentially changing reward prospect: An ERP study

Performance-contingent reward prospect modulates the stability-flexibility balance in voluntary task switching. High reward prospect typically increases stability, indicated by a low voluntary switch rate (VSR). But this effect depends on the immediate reward history: Only when a high reward repeats (reward remains high), stability is increased. In contrast, when reward increases (high reward following low reward) cognitive flexibility is promoted, indicated by a relatively high VSR. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of changing reward expectations during voluntary task choice, we conducted two experiments and measured reward cue-locked event-related potentials (P2, P3b, CNV). The experiments yielded consistent findings: The P2 was stronger in response to high vs. low reward reflecting an early attentional boost by high reward anticipation. The P3b was highest in increase, intermediate in remain-high, and lowest in low reward trials suggesting responsiveness to working memory updating and motivational arousal. Finally, the CNV increased over time and was sensitive to both reward magnitude and sequence with the lowest amplitude in reward remain-low trials suggesting that preparatory control only increases when worth the effort. Taken together, early attentional processes (P2) were boosted by mere reward magnitude, while later processes (P3b, CNV) were sensitive to both reward magnitude and its sequence.

Electrophysiological correlates of prediction formation in anticipation of reward- and punishment-related feedback signals

Feedback processing during decision making involves comparing anticipated and actual outcome. Although effects on ERPs of valence, magnitude, expectancy, and context during feedback processing have been extensively investigated, the electrophysiological processes underlying prediction formation in anticipation of feedback signals have received little attention. The aim of the present study was to explore these processes of prediction formation and their influence on subsequent feedback signals. Twenty healthy, right‐handed volunteers performed a forced‐choice task in which they had to indicate which of two presented objects was more expensive. After the volunteer's choice, an expert cue, which was accurate in 80% of trials, was presented to manipulate prediction formation about future reward and punishment. ERPs were recorded during presentation of the expert cue and during feedback. Results revealed that prediction formation of future rewards and punishments is accompanied by differences in the P2 component and a subsequent delay period. During feedback processing, the prediction‐related P2 was associated with the processing of valence reflected in the feedback‐related P2. Furthermore, the prediction‐related difference in the delay period was associated with error processing in feedback‐related medial frontal negativity. These findings suggest that prediction signals prior to feedback contain information about whether a prediction is correct or wrong (expectancy) and if the outcome will be a reward or punishment (valence).

During feedback processing, a prediction of future outcome is affected by contextual information. Here, we show that electrocortical signals related to future outcome following contextual information inversely predict reward signals during feedback processing. Additionally, signal differences after presentation of contextual information relate to future signal differences reflecting prediction error during feedback processing.

Feedback processing in adolescents with prenatal cocaine exposure: an electrophysiological investigation

Impaired cognitive control is a consequence of cocaine exposure. Difficulty with feedback processing may underlie this impairment. We examined neural correlates of feedback processing using event-related potentials (ERPs) in 49 prenatally cocaine-exposed (PCE) and 34 nondrug exposed (NDE) adolescents. Adolescents performed a reward-feedback task with win/no-win feedback in a chance-based task. We investigated amplitude and latency of the feedback-related negativity (FRN) and P300 ERP components and source-based estimates elicited during feedback processing. PCE adolescents had smaller P300 amplitudes for no-win feedback, and source analysis in the P300 time window revealed differences between groups localized to the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex.

Regulating task-monitoring systems in response to variable reward contingencies and outcomes in cocaine addicts

BACKGROUND

We investigated anticipatory and consummatory reward processing in cocaine addiction. In addition, we set out to assess whether task-monitoring systems were appropriately recalibrated in light of variable reward schedules. We also examined neural measures of task-monitoring and reward processing as a function of hedonic tone, since anhedonia is a vulnerability marker for addiction that is obviously germane in the context of reward processing.

METHOD

High-density event-related potentials were recorded while participants performed a speeded response task that systematically varied anticipated probabilities of reward receipt. The paradigm dissociated feedback regarding task success (or failure) from feedback regarding the value of reward (or loss), so that task-monitoring and reward processing could be examined in partial isolation. Twenty-three active cocaine abusers and 23 age-matched healthy controls participated.

RESULTS

Cocaine abusers showed amplified anticipatory responses to reward predictive cues, but crucially, these responses were not as strongly modulated by reward probability as in controls. Cocaine users also showed blunted responses to feedback about task success or failure and did not use this information to update predictions about reward. In turn, they showed clearly blunted responses to reward feedback. In controls and users, measures of anhedonia were associated with reward motivation. In cocaine users, anhedonia was also associated with diminished monitoring and reward feedback responses.

CONCLUSION

Findings imply that reward anticipation and monitoring deficiencies in addiction are associated with increased responsiveness to reward cues but impaired ability to predict reward in light of task contingencies, compounded by deficits in responding to actual reward outcomes.

Interests shape how adolescents pay attention: the interaction of motivation and top-down attentional processes in biasing sensory activations to anticipated events

The voluntary allocation of attention to environmental inputs is a crucial mechanism of healthy cognitive functioning, and is probably influenced by an observer's level of interest in a stimulus. For example, an individual who is passionate about soccer but bored by botany will obviously be more attentive at a soccer match than an orchid show. The influence of monetary rewards on attention has been examined, but the impact of more common motivating factors (i.e. the level of interest in the materials under observation) remains unclear, especially during development. Here, stimulus sets were designed based on survey measures of the level of interest of adolescent participants in several item classes. High-density electroencephalography was recorded during a cued spatial attention task in which stimuli of high or low interest were presented in separate blocks. The motivational impact on performance of a spatial attention task was assessed, along with event-related potential measures of anticipatory top-down attention. As predicted, performance was improved for the spatial target detection of high interest items. Further, the impact of motivation was observed in parieto-occipital processes associated with anticipatory top-down spatial attention. The anticipatory activity over these regions was also increased for high vs. low interest stimuli, irrespective of the direction of spatial attention. The results also showed stronger anticipatory attentional and motivational modulations over the right vs. left parieto-occipital cortex. These data suggest that motivation enhances top-down attentional processes, and can independently shape activations in sensory regions in anticipation of events. They also suggest that attentional functions across hemispheres may not fully mature until late adolescence.