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Hoy CW, de Hemptinne C, Wang SS, Harmer CJ, Apps MAJ, Husain M, Starr PA, Little S. Beta and theta oscillations track effort and previous reward in the human basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex during decision making. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2322869121. [PMID: 39047043 PMCID: PMC11295073 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322869121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Choosing whether to exert effort to obtain rewards is fundamental to human motivated behavior. However, the neural dynamics underlying the evaluation of reward and effort in humans is poorly understood. Here, we report an exploratory investigation into this with chronic intracranial recordings from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and basal ganglia (BG; subthalamic nuclei and globus pallidus) in people with Parkinson's disease performing a decision-making task with offers that varied in levels of reward and physical effort required. This revealed dissociable neural signatures of reward and effort, with BG beta (12 to 20 Hz) oscillations tracking effort on a single-trial basis and PFC theta (4 to 7 Hz) signaling previous trial reward, with no effects of net subjective value. Stimulation of PFC increased overall acceptance of offers and sensitivity to reward while decreasing the impact of effort on choices. This work uncovers oscillatory mechanisms that guide fundamental decisions to exert effort for reward across BG and PFC, supports a causal role of PFC for such choices, and seeds hypotheses for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin W. Hoy
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Coralie de Hemptinne
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32608
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32608
| | - Sarah S. Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Catherine J. Harmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, OxfordOX3 7JX, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew A. J. Apps
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX2 6GG, United Kingdom
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham UKB15 2TT, United Kingdom
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, BirminghamB15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX2 6GG, United Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, OxfordOX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Philip A. Starr
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Little
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
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2
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Hughes NC, Qian H, Zargari M, Zhao Z, Singh B, Wang Z, Fulton JN, Johnson GW, Li R, Dawant BM, Englot DJ, Constantinidis C, Roberson SW, Bick SK. Reward Circuit Local Field Potential Modulations Precede Risk Taking. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.10.588629. [PMID: 38645237 PMCID: PMC11030333 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.10.588629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Risk taking behavior is a symptom of multiple neuropsychiatric disorders and often lacks effective treatments. Reward circuitry regions including the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and anterior cingulate have been implicated in risk-taking by neuroimaging studies. Electrophysiological activity associated with risk taking in these regions is not well understood in humans. Further characterizing the neural signalling that underlies risk-taking may provide therapeutic insight into disorders associated with risk-taking. Eleven patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy who underwent stereotactic electroencephalography with electrodes in the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and/or anterior cingulate participated. Patients participated in a gambling task where they wagered on a visible playing card being higher than a hidden card, betting $5 or $20 on this outcome, while local field potentials were recorded from implanted electrodes. We used cluster-based permutation testing to identify reward prediction error signals by comparing oscillatory power following unexpected and expected rewards. We also used cluster-based permutation testing to compare power preceding high and low bets in high-risk (<50% chance of winning) trials and two-way ANOVA with bet and risk level to identify signals associated with risky, risk averse, and optimized decisions. We used linear mixed effects models to evaluate the relationship between reward prediction error and risky decision signals across trials, and a linear regression model for associations between risky decision signal power and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale scores for each patient. Reward prediction error signals were identified in the amygdala (p=0.0066), anterior cingulate (p=0.0092), and orbitofrontal cortex (p=6.0E-4, p=4.0E-4). Risky decisions were predicted by increased oscillatory power in high-gamma frequency range during card presentation in the orbitofrontal cortex (p=0.0022), and by increased power following bet cue presentation across the theta-to-beta range in the orbitofrontal cortex ( p =0.0022), high-gamma in the anterior cingulate ( p =0.0004), and high-gamma in the insula ( p =0.0014). Risk averse decisions were predicted by decreased orbitofrontal cortex gamma power ( p =2.0E-4). Optimized decisions that maximized earnings were preceded by decreases within the theta to beta range in orbitofrontal cortex ( p =2.0E-4), broad frequencies in amygdala ( p =2.0E-4), and theta to low-gamma in insula ( p =4.0E-4). Insula risky decision power was associated with orbitofrontal cortex high-gamma reward prediction error signal ( p =0.0048) and with patient impulsivity ( p =0.00478). Our findings identify and help characterize reward circuitry activity predictive of risk-taking in humans. These findings may serve as potential biomarkers to inform the development of novel treatment strategies such as closed loop neuromodulation for disorders of risk taking.
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3
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Man V, Cockburn J, Flouty O, Gander PE, Sawada M, Kovach CK, Kawasaki H, Oya H, Howard Iii MA, O'Doherty JP. Temporally organized representations of reward and risk in the human brain. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2162. [PMID: 38461343 PMCID: PMC10924934 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46094-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The value and uncertainty associated with choice alternatives constitute critical features relevant for decisions. However, the manner in which reward and risk representations are temporally organized in the brain remains elusive. Here we leverage the spatiotemporal precision of intracranial electroencephalography, along with a simple card game designed to elicit the unfolding computation of a set of reward and risk variables, to uncover this temporal organization. Reward outcome representations across wide-spread regions follow a sequential order along the anteroposterior axis of the brain. In contrast, expected value can be decoded from multiple regions at the same time, and error signals in both reward and risk domains reflect a mixture of sequential and parallel encoding. We further highlight the role of the anterior insula in generalizing between reward prediction error and risk prediction error codes. Together our results emphasize the importance of neural dynamics for understanding value-based decisions under uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Man
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
| | - Jeffrey Cockburn
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Oliver Flouty
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33606, USA
| | - Phillip E Gander
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Masahiro Sawada
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Christopher K Kovach
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Hiroto Kawasaki
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Hiroyuki Oya
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Matthew A Howard Iii
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - John P O'Doherty
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
- Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
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4
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Pfabigan DM, Frogner ER, Schéle E, Thorsby PM, Skålhegg BS, Dickson SL, Sailer U. Ghrelin is related to lower brain reward activation during touch. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14443. [PMID: 37737514 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14443] [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: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
The gut hormone ghrelin drives food motivation and increases food intake, but it is also involved in the anticipation of and response to rewards other than food. This pre-registered study investigated how naturally varying ghrelin concentrations affect the processing of touch as a social reward in humans. Sixty-seven volunteers received slow caressing touch (so-called CT-targeted touch) as a social reward and control touch on their shins during 3T functional imaging on two test days. On one occasion, participants were fasted, and on another, they received a meal. On each occasion, plasma ghrelin was measured at three time points. All touch was rated as more pleasant after the meal, but there was no association between ghrelin concentrations and pleasantness. CT-targeted touch was rated as the most pleasant and activated somatosensory and reward networks (whole brain). A region-of-interest in the right medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) showed lower activation during all touches, the higher the ghrelin concentrations were. During CT-targeted touch, a larger satiety response (ghrelin decrease after the meal) was associated with higher mOFC activation, and this mOFC activation was associated with higher experienced pleasantness. Overall, higher ghrelin concentrations appear to be related to a lower reward value for touch. Ghrelin may reduce the value of social stimuli, such as touch, to promote food search and intake in a state of low energy. This suggests that the role of ghrelin goes beyond assigning value to food reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Pfabigan
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Endocrinology, Obesity and Nutrition, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - E R Frogner
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - E Schéle
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - P M Thorsby
- Hormone Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biochemical Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Group, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - B S Skålhegg
- Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - S L Dickson
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - U Sailer
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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5
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Hoy CW, de Hemptinne C, Wang SS, Harmer CJ, Apps MAJ, Husain M, Starr PA, Little S. Beta and theta oscillations track effort and previous reward in human basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex during decision making. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.05.570285. [PMID: 38106063 PMCID: PMC10723308 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.05.570285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Choosing whether to exert effort to obtain rewards is fundamental to human motivated behavior. However, the neural dynamics underlying the evaluation of reward and effort in humans is poorly understood. Here, we investigate this with chronic intracranial recordings from prefrontal cortex (PFC) and basal ganglia (BG; subthalamic nuclei and globus pallidus) in people with Parkinson's disease performing a decision-making task with offers that varied in levels of reward and physical effort required. This revealed dissociable neural signatures of reward and effort, with BG beta (12-20 Hz) oscillations tracking subjective effort on a single trial basis and PFC theta (4-7 Hz) signaling previous trial reward. Stimulation of PFC increased overall acceptance of offers in addition to increasing the impact of reward on choices. This work uncovers oscillatory mechanisms that guide fundamental decisions to exert effort for reward across BG and PFC, as well as supporting a causal role of PFC for such choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin W. Hoy
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Coralie de Hemptinne
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sarah S. Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Mathew A. J. Apps
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip A. Starr
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Simon Little
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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6
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Möhring L, Gläscher J. Prediction errors drive dynamic changes in neural patterns that guide behavior. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112931. [PMID: 37540597 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning describes the process by which our internal expectation models of the world are updated by surprising outcomes (prediction errors [PEs]) to improve predictions of future events. However, the mechanisms through which error signals dynamically influence existing neural representations are unknown. Here, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in humans solving a two-step Markov decision task to investigate changes in neural activation patterns following PEs. Using a dynamic multivariate pattern analysis, we can show that PE-related fMRI responses in error-coding regions predict trial-by-trial changes in multivariate neural patterns in the orbitofrontal cortex, the precuneus, and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Importantly, the dynamics of these pattern changes in the vmPFC also predicted upcoming changes in choice strategies and thus highlight the importance of these pattern changes for behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Möhring
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Jan Gläscher
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
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7
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Aquino TG, Cockburn J, Mamelak AN, Rutishauser U, O'Doherty JP. Neurons in human pre-supplementary motor area encode key computations for value-based choice. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:970-985. [PMID: 36959327 PMCID: PMC10330469 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01548-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive behaviour in real-world environments requires that choices integrate several variables, including the novelty of the options under consideration, their expected value and uncertainty in value estimation. Here, to probe how integration over decision variables occurs during decision-making, we recorded neurons from the human pre-supplementary motor area (preSMA), ventromedial prefrontal cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate. Unlike the other areas, preSMA neurons not only represented separate pre-decision variables for each choice option but also encoded an integrated utility signal for each choice option and, subsequently, the decision itself. Post-decision encoding of variables for the chosen option was more widely distributed and especially prominent in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Our findings position the human preSMA as central to the implementation of value-based decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas G Aquino
- Computation and Neural Systems, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jeffrey Cockburn
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Adam N Mamelak
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ueli Rutishauser
- Computation and Neural Systems, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - John P O'Doherty
- Computation and Neural Systems, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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8
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Man V, Cockburn J, Flouty O, Gander PE, Sawada M, Kovach CK, Kawasaki H, Oya H, Howard MA, O'Doherty JP. Temporally organized representations of reward and risk in the human brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.09.539916. [PMID: 37214975 PMCID: PMC10197553 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.09.539916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The value and uncertainty associated with choice alternatives constitute critical features along which decisions are made. While the neural substrates supporting reward and risk processing have been investigated, the temporal organization by which these computations are encoded remains elusive. Here we leverage the high spatiotemporal precision of intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) to uncover how representations of decision-related computations unfold in time. We present evidence of locally distributed representations of reward and risk variables that are temporally organized across multiple regions of interest. Reward outcome representations across wide-spread regions follow a temporally cascading order along the anteroposterior axis of the brain. In contrast, expected value can be decoded from multiple regions at the same time, and error signals in both reward and risk domains reflect a mixture of sequential and parallel encoding. We highlight the role of the anterior insula in generalizing between reward prediction error (RePE) and risk prediction error (RiPE), within which the encoding of RePE in the distributed iEEG signal predicts RiPE. Together our results emphasize the utility of uncovering temporal dynamics in the human brain for understanding how computational processes critical for value-based decisions under uncertainty unfold.
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9
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Sun S, Cai C, Yu R. Behavioral and neural representation of expected reward and risk. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119731. [PMID: 36356436 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
When faced with uncertainty, individuals' value-based decisions are influenced by the expected rewards and risks. Understanding how reward and risk are processed and integrated at the behavioral and neural levels is essential for building up utility theories. Using a modified monetary incentive delay task in which the mean of two possible outcomes (expected reward) and the standard deviation (SD) of the possible outcomes (risk) were parametrically manipulated and orthogonalized, we measured eye movements, response times (RTs), and brain activity when participants seek to secure a reward. We found that RTs varied as a function of the mean but not the SD of the potential reward, suggesting that expected rewards are the main driver of RTs. Moreover, the difference between gazes focused on high vs. low value rewards became smaller when the magnitude of the potential reward (mean of possible outcomes) was larger and when risk (SD of possible outcomes) became smaller, highlighting that reward and risk have different effects on attention deployment. Processing the mean reward activated the striatum. The positive striatal connectivity to the amygdala and negative striatal connectivity to the superior frontal gyrus were correlated with individuals' sensitivity to the expected reward. In contrast, processing risk activated the anterior insula. Its positive connectivity to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and negative connectivity to the anterior midcingulate cortex were correlated with individual differences in risk sensitivity, further suggesting the functional dissociation of reward and risk at the neural level. Our findings, based on several different measures, delineate the distinct representations of reward and risk in non-decision contexts and provide insight into how these utility parameters modulate attention, motivation, and brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Sun
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan; Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan.
| | - Chuhua Cai
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application and Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Department of Management, School of Business, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, HKSAR, Hong Kong.
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10
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Majumdar G, Yazin F, Banerjee A, Roy D. Emotion dynamics as hierarchical Bayesian inference in time. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:3750-3772. [PMID: 36030379 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac305] [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: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
What fundamental property of our environment would be most valuable and optimal in characterizing the emotional dynamics we experience in daily life? Empirical work has shown that an accurate estimation of uncertainty is necessary for our optimal perception, learning, and decision-making. However, the role of this uncertainty in governing our affective dynamics remains unexplored. Using Bayesian encoding, decoding and computational modeling, on a large-scale neuroimaging and behavioral data on a passive movie-watching task, we showed that emotions naturally arise due to ongoing uncertainty estimations about future outcomes in a hierarchical neural architecture. Several prefrontal subregions hierarchically encoded a lower-dimensional signal that highly correlated with the evolving uncertainty. Crucially, the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) tracked the temporal fluctuations of this uncertainty and was predictive of the participants' predisposition to anxiety. Furthermore, we observed a distinct functional double-dissociation within OFC with increased connectivity between medial OFC and DMN, while with that of lOFC and FPN in response to the evolving affect. Finally, we uncovered a temporally predictive code updating an individual's beliefs spontaneously with fluctuating outcome uncertainty in the lOFC. A biologically relevant and computationally crucial parameter in the theories of brain function, we propose uncertainty to be central to the definition of complex emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gargi Majumdar
- Cognitive Brain Dynamics Lab, National Brain Research Centre, NH 8, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana 122052, India
| | - Fahd Yazin
- Cognitive Brain Dynamics Lab, National Brain Research Centre, NH 8, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana 122052, India
| | - Arpan Banerjee
- Cognitive Brain Dynamics Lab, National Brain Research Centre, NH 8, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana 122052, India
| | - Dipanjan Roy
- Cognitive Brain Dynamics Lab, National Brain Research Centre, NH 8, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana 122052, India.,Centre for Brain Science and Applications, School of AIDE, IIT Jodhpur, NH 62, Surpura Bypass Rd, Karwar, Rajasthan 342030, India
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11
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Opitz L, Wagner F, Rogenz J, Maas J, Schmidt A, Brodoehl S, Klingner CM. Still Wanting to Win: Reward System Stability in Healthy Aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:863580. [PMID: 35707701 PMCID: PMC9190761 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.863580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthy aging is accompanied by multi-faceted changes. Especially within the brain, healthy aging exerts substantial impetus on core parts of cognitive and motivational networks. Rewards comprise basic needs, such as food, sleep, and social contact. Thus, a functionally intact reward system remains indispensable for elderly people to cope with everyday life and adapt to their changing environment. Research shows that reward system function is better preserved in the elderly than most cognitive functions. To investigate the compensatory mechanisms providing reward system stability in aging, we employed a well-established reward paradigm (Monetary Incentive Delay Task) in groups of young and old participants while undergoing EEG measurement. As a new approach, we applied EEG connectivity analyses to assess cortical reward-related network connectivity. At the behavioral level, our results confirm that the function of the reward system is preserved in old age. The mechanisms identified for maintaining reward system function in old age do not fit into previously described models of cognitive aging. Overall, older adults exhibit lower reward-related connectivity modulation, higher reliance on posterior and right-lateralized brain areas than younger adults, and connectivity modulation in the opposite direction than younger adults, with usually greater connectivity during non-reward compared to reward conditions. We believe that the reward system has unique compensatory mechanisms distinct from other cognitive functions, probably due to its etymologically very early origin. In summary, this study provides important new insights into cortical reward network connectivity in healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Opitz
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Biomagnetic Center, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Franziska Wagner
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Biomagnetic Center, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Clinician Scientist Program OrganAge, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- *Correspondence: Franziska Wagner,
| | - Jenny Rogenz
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Biomagnetic Center, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Johanna Maas
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Biomagnetic Center, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Alexander Schmidt
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Biomagnetic Center, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Brodoehl
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Biomagnetic Center, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Carsten M. Klingner
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Biomagnetic Center, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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12
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Rudebeck PH, Izquierdo A. Foraging with the frontal cortex: A cross-species evaluation of reward-guided behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:134-146. [PMID: 34408279 PMCID: PMC8617092 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01140-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Efficient foraging is essential to survival and depends on frontal cortex in mammals. Because of its role in psychiatric disorders, frontal cortex and its contributions to reward procurement have been studied extensively in both rodents and non-human primates. How frontal cortex of these animal models compares is a source of intense debate. Here we argue that translating findings from rodents to non-human primates requires an appreciation of both the niche in which each animal forages as well as the similarities in frontal cortex anatomy and function. Consequently, we highlight similarities and differences in behavior and anatomy, before focusing on points of convergence in how parts of frontal cortex contribute to distinct aspects of foraging in rats and macaques, more specifically. In doing so, our aim is to emphasize where translation of frontal cortex function between species is clearer, where there is divergence, and where future work should focus. We finish by highlighting aspects of foraging for which have received less attention but we believe are critical to uncovering how frontal cortex promotes survival in each species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alicia Izquierdo
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- The Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Integrative Center for Addictions, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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13
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Radoman M, Lieberman L, Jimmy J, Gorka SM. Shared and unique neural circuitry underlying temporally unpredictable threat and reward processing. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:370-382. [PMID: 33449089 PMCID: PMC7990065 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporally unpredictable stimuli influence behavior across species, as previously demonstrated for sequences of simple threats and rewards with fixed or variable onset. Neuroimaging studies have identified a specific frontolimbic circuit that may become engaged during the anticipation of temporally unpredictable threat (U-threat). However, the neural mechanisms underlying processing of temporally unpredictable reward (U-reward) are incompletely understood. It is also unclear whether these processes are mediated by overlapping or distinct neural systems. These knowledge gaps are noteworthy given that disruptions within these neural systems may lead to maladaptive response to uncertainty. Here, using functional magnetic resonance imaging data from a sample of 159 young adults, we showed that anticipation of both U-threat and U-reward elicited activation in the right anterior insula, right ventral anterior nucleus of the thalamus and right inferior frontal gyrus. U-threat also activated the right posterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, relative to U-reward. In contrast, U-reward elicited activation in the right fusiform and left middle occipital gyrus, relative to U-threat. Although there is some overlap in the neural circuitry underlying anticipation of U-threat and U-reward, these processes appear to be largely mediated by distinct circuits. Future studies are needed to corroborate and extend these preliminary findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Radoman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Lynne Lieberman
- Road Home Program, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Jagan Jimmy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
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14
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van Duinkerken E, Bernardes G, van Bloemendaal L, Veltman DJ, Barkhof F, Mograbi DC, Gerdes VEA, Deacon CF, Holst JJ, Drent ML, Diamant M, ten Kulve J, Ijzerman RG. Cerebral effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor blockade before and after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery in obese women: A proof-of-concept resting-state functional MRI study. Diabetes Obes Metab 2021; 23:415-424. [PMID: 33084088 PMCID: PMC7821255 DOI: 10.1111/dom.14233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
AIM To assess the effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB)-related changes in glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) on cerebral resting-state functioning in obese women. MATERIALS AND METHODS In nine obese females aged 40-54 years in the fasted state, we studied the effects of RYGB and GLP-1 on five a priori selected networks implicated in food- and reward-related processes as well as environment monitoring (default mode, right frontoparietal, basal ganglia, insula/anterior cingulate and anterior cingulate/orbitofrontal networks). RESULTS Before surgery, GLP-1 receptor blockade (using exendin9-39) was associated with increased right caudate nucleus (basal ganglia network) and decreased right middle frontal (right frontoparietal network) connectivity compared with placebo. RYGB resulted in decreased right orbitofrontal (insula/anterior cingulate network) connectivity. In the default mode network, after surgery, GLP-1 receptor blockade had a larger effect on connectivity in this region than GLP-1 receptor blockade before RYGB (all PFWE < .05). Results remained similar after correction for changes in body weight. Default mode and right frontoparietal network connectivity changes were related to changes in body mass index and food scores after RYGB. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest GLP-1 involvement in resting-state networks related to food and reward processes and monitoring of the internal and external environment, pointing to a potential role for GLP-1-induced changes in resting-state connectivity in RYGB-mediated weight loss and appetite control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eelco van Duinkerken
- Department of Medical PsychologyAmsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- Amsterdam Diabetes Center/Department of Internal MedicineAmsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- Department of NeurologyHospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBrazil
- Center for EpilepsyInstituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo NiemeyerRio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Gabriel Bernardes
- Departament of PsychologyPontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Liselotte van Bloemendaal
- Amsterdam Diabetes Center/Department of Internal MedicineAmsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Dick J. Veltman
- Department of PsychiatryAmsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Frederik Barkhof
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear MedicineAmsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- Institute of Neurology and Healthcare EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Daniel C. Mograbi
- Departament of PsychologyPontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBrazil
- Institute of PsychiatryKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Carolyn F. Deacon
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Panum InstituteUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Jens J. Holst
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Panum InstituteUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Madeleine L. Drent
- Amsterdam Diabetes Center/Department of Internal MedicineAmsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- Section of Clinical Neuropsychology, Department of Clinical, Neuro‐ & Developmental PsychologyFaculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Michaela Diamant
- Amsterdam Diabetes Center/Department of Internal MedicineAmsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Jennifer ten Kulve
- Amsterdam Diabetes Center/Department of Internal MedicineAmsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Richard G. Ijzerman
- Amsterdam Diabetes Center/Department of Internal MedicineAmsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdamthe Netherlands
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15
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Dai D, Lacadie CM, Holmes SE, Cool R, Anticevic A, Averill C, Abdallah C, Esterlis I. Ketamine Normalizes the Structural Alterations of Inferior Frontal Gyrus in Depression. CHRONIC STRESS 2021; 4:2470547020980681. [PMID: 33426409 PMCID: PMC7758564 DOI: 10.1177/2470547020980681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Background Ketamine is a novel fast-acting antidepressant. Acute ketamine treatment can reverse microstructure deficits and normalize functional alterations in the brain, but little is known about the impacts of ketamine on brain volumes in individuals with depression. Methods We used 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tensorbased morphological methods to investigate the regional volume differences for 29 healthy control (HC) subjects and 21 subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD), including 10 subjects with comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). All the subjects participated in MRI scanning before and 24 h post intravenous ketamine infusion. The effects of acute ketamine administration on HC, MDD, and MDD/PTSD groups were examined separately by whole-brain voxel-wise t-tests. Results Our data showed smaller volume of inferior frontal gyrus (IFG, opercular part) in MDD and MDD/PTSD subjects compared to HC, and a significant correlation between opercular IFG volume and depressive severity in MDD subjects only. Ketamine administration normalized the structural alterations of opercular IFG in both MDD and MDD/PTSD groups, and significantly improved depressive and PTSD symptoms. Twenty-four hours after a single ketamine infusion, there were two clusters of voxels with volume changes in MDD subjects, including significantly increased volumes of opercular IFG. No significant structural alterations were found in the MDD/PTSD or HC groups. Conclusion These findings provide direct evidence that acute ketamine administration can normalize structural alterations associated with depression and highlight the importance of IFG in the guidance of future therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Dai
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Cheryl M Lacadie
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sophie E Holmes
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Ryan Cool
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Psychology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Chris Averill
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Clinical Neurosciences Division, National Center for PTSD, US Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Chadi Abdallah
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Clinical Neurosciences Division, National Center for PTSD, US Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, Connecticut.,Michael E. DeBakey, VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas.,Menninger Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Irina Esterlis
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Psychology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Clinical Neurosciences Division, National Center for PTSD, US Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, Connecticut
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16
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Du Y, Wang Y, Yu M, Tian X, Liu J. Sex-Specific Functional Connectivity in the Reward Network Related to Distinct Gender Roles. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 14:593787. [PMID: 33505258 PMCID: PMC7831777 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.593787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gender roles are anti-dichotomous and malleable social constructs that should theoretically be constructed independently from biological sex. However, it is unclear whether and how the factor of sex is related to neural mechanisms involved in social constructions of gender roles. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate sex specificity in gender role constructions and the corresponding underlying neural mechanisms. We measured gender role orientation using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, used a voxel-based global brain connectivity method based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to characterize the within-network connectivity in the brain reward network, and analyzed how the integration of the reward network is related to gender role scores between sex groups. An omnibus analysis of voxel-wise global brain connectivity values within a two-level linear mixed model revealed that in female participants, femininity scores were positively associated with integration in the posterior orbitofrontal cortex and subcallosal cortex, whereas masculinity scores were positively associated with integration in the frontal pole. By contrast, in male participants, masculinity was negatively correlated with integration in the nucleus accumbens and subcallosal cortex. For the first time, the present study revealed the sex-specific neural mechanisms underlying distinct gender roles, which elucidates the process of gender construction from the perspective of the interaction between reward sensitivity and social reinforcement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Du
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yinan Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengxia Yu
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Tian
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Psychology, Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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17
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León-Domínguez U, Solís-Marcos I, López-Delgado CA, Martín JMBY, León-Carrión J. A Frontal Neuropsychological Profile in Fitness to Drive. ACCIDENT; ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION 2020; 148:105807. [PMID: 33069156 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2020.105807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Traffic accidents are a global concern due to the elevated mortality rates of both drivers and pedestrians. The World Health Organization declared 2011-2020 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety, endorsing initiatives to reduce traffic-related deaths. Yet, despite these incentives, fatal accidents still occur. Different studies have linked deficits in executive functions to risky driving attitudes and crashes. The present study focuses on demographic, cognitive and personality factors, related to the prefrontal cortex, that are characteristic of drivers prone to risky behavior behind the wheel. The penalty Points System was used to classify drivers as "safe", with no point loss over a two-year period, or "risky", with full point loss during the same interval. A neuropsychological assessment of prefrontal cognitive functions was carried out on each group to identify variables associated with safe and risky behavior. Neuropsychological indexes were obtained from a continuous performance task without cue (Simple Attention), a continuous performance task with cue (Conditioned Attention), the Tower of Hanoi test and the Neurologically-related Changes in Personality Inventory (NECHAPI). A Discriminant Analysis (DA) found that education level, reaction times in Simple and Conditioned Attention, learning errors in the Tower of Hanoi and vulnerability in the personality test, best predicted whether drivers were likely to be in the safe or risky group. Finally, a cross-validation analysis performed on the same sample correctly classified 87.5% of the drivers. These data suggest that prefrontal dysfunction contributes to risky behavior behind the wheel. The inclusion of cognitive programs to identify and train drivers with this propensity could reduce risky driving, and consequently, save lives on the road.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umberto León-Domínguez
- Human Cognition and Brain Research lab, School of Psychology, University of Monterrey, San Pedro Garza, García, Mexico.
| | - Ignacio Solís-Marcos
- The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) Linköping, Sweden
| | | | | | - José León-Carrión
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain; Center for Brain Injury Rehabilitation (CRECER), Seville, Spain
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18
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Masset P, Ott T, Lak A, Hirokawa J, Kepecs A. Behavior- and Modality-General Representation of Confidence in Orbitofrontal Cortex. Cell 2020; 182:112-126.e18. [PMID: 32504542 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Every decision we make is accompanied by a sense of confidence about its likely outcome. This sense informs subsequent behavior, such as investing more-whether time, effort, or money-when reward is more certain. A neural representation of confidence should originate from a statistical computation and predict confidence-guided behavior. An additional requirement for confidence representations to support metacognition is abstraction: they should emerge irrespective of the source of information and inform multiple confidence-guided behaviors. It is unknown whether neural confidence signals meet these criteria. Here, we show that single orbitofrontal cortex neurons in rats encode statistical decision confidence irrespective of the sensory modality, olfactory or auditory, used to make a choice. The activity of these neurons also predicts two confidence-guided behaviors: trial-by-trial time investment and cross-trial choice strategy updating. Orbitofrontal cortex thus represents decision confidence consistent with a metacognitive process that is useful for mediating confidence-guided economic decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Masset
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; Watson School of Biological Sciences, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Torben Ott
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Armin Lak
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Junya Hirokawa
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Adam Kepecs
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; Watson School of Biological Sciences, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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19
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Troiani V, Patti MA, Adamson K. The use of the orbitofrontal H-sulcus as a reference frame for value signals. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 51:1928-1943. [PMID: 31605399 PMCID: PMC8103953 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the factors that drive organization and function of the brain is an enduring question in neuroscience. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), structure and function have been mapped in primary sensory cortices based on knowledge of the organizational principles that likely drive a given region (e.g., aspects of visual form in primary visual cortex and sound frequency in primary auditory cortex) and knowledge of underlying cytoarchitecture. The organizing principles of higher-order brain areas that encode more complex signals, such as the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), are less well understood. One fundamental component that underlies the many functions of the OFC is the ability to compute the reward or value of a given object. There is evidence of variability in the spatial location of responses to specific categories of objects (or value of said objects) within the OFC, and several reference frames have been proposed to explain this variability, including topographic spatial gradients that correspond to axes of primary versus secondary rewards and positive versus negative reinforcers. One potentially useful structural morphometric reference frame in the OFC is the "H-sulcus," a pattern formed by medial orbital, lateral orbital and transverse orbital sulci. In 48 human subjects, we use a structural morphometric tracing procedure to localize functional activation along the H-sulcus for face and food stimuli. We report the novel finding that food-selective responses are consistently found within the caudal portion of the medial orbital sulcus, but no consistency within the H-sulcus for response to face stimuli. These results suggest that sulcogyral anatomy of the H-sulcus may be an important morphological metric that contributes to the organizing principles of the OFC response to certain stimulus categories, including food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Troiani
- Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
- Department of Imaging Science and Innovation, Center for Health Research, Geisinger, Danville, Pennsylvania
- Neuroscience Institute, Geisinger, Danville, Pennsylvania
- Department of Basic Sciences, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, Pennsylvania
| | - Marisa A. Patti
- Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
| | - Kayleigh Adamson
- Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
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20
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Substance use is associated with reduced devaluation sensitivity. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 19:40-55. [PMID: 30377929 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-0638-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Substance use has been linked to impairments in reward processing and decision-making, yet empirical research on the relationship between substance use and devaluation of reward in humans is limited. We report findings from two studies that tested whether individual differences in substance use behavior predicted reward learning strategies and devaluation sensitivity in a nonclinical sample. Participants in Experiment 1 (N = 66) and Experiment 2 (N = 91) completed subscales of the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory and then performed a two-stage reinforcement learning task that included a devaluation procedure. Spontaneous eye blink rate was used as an indirect proxy for dopamine functioning. In Experiment 1, correlational analysis revealed a negative relationship between substance use and devaluation sensitivity. In Experiment 2, regression modeling revealed that while spontaneous eyeblink rate moderated the relationship between substance use and reward learning strategies, substance use alone was related to devaluation sensitivity. These results suggest that once reward-action associations are established during reinforcement learning, substance use predicted reduced sensitivity to devaluation independently of variation in eyeblink rate. Thus, substance use is not only related to increased habit formation but also to difficulty disengaging from learned habits. Implications for the role of the dopaminergic system in habitual responding in individuals with substance use problems are discussed.
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21
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Frank DW, Costa VD, Averbeck BB, Sabatinelli D. Directional interconnectivity of the human amygdala, fusiform gyrus, and orbitofrontal cortex in emotional scene perception. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:1530-1537. [PMID: 31166811 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00780.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The perception of emotionally arousing scenes modulates neural activity in ventral visual areas via reentrant signals from the amygdala. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) shares dense interconnections with amygdala and has been strongly implicated in emotional stimulus processing in primates, but our understanding of the functional contribution of this region to emotional perception in humans is poorly defined. In this study we acquired targeted rapid functional imaging from lateral OFC, amygdala, and fusiform gyrus (FG) over multiple scanning sessions (resulting in over 1,000 trials per participant) in an effort to define the activation amplitude and directional connectivity among these regions during naturalistic scene perception. All regions of interest showed enhanced activation during emotionally arousing, compared with neutral scenes. In addition, we identified bidirectional connectivity between amygdala, FG, and OFC in the great majority of individual subjects, suggesting that human emotional perception is implemented in part via nonhierarchical causal interactions across these three regions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Due to the practical limitations of noninvasive recording methodologies, there is a scarcity of data regarding the interactions of human amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Using rapid functional MRI sampling and directional connectivity, we found that the human amygdala influences emotional perception via distinct interactions with late-stage ventral visual cortex and OFC, in addition to distinct interactions between OFC and fusiform gyrus. Future efforts may leverage these patterns of directional connectivity to noninvasively distinguish clinical groups from controls with respect to network causal hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Frank
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Vincent D Costa
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Bruno B Averbeck
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Dean Sabatinelli
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.,Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
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22
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Sabatinelli D, Frank DW. Assessing the Primacy of Human Amygdala-Inferotemporal Emotional Scene Discrimination with Rapid Whole-Brain fMRI. Neuroscience 2019; 406:212-224. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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23
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Li Q, Becker B, Wernicke J, Chen Y, Zhang Y, Li R, Le J, Kou J, Zhao W, Kendrick KM. Foot massage evokes oxytocin release and activation of orbitofrontal cortex and superior temporal sulcus. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 101:193-203. [PMID: 30469087 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 09/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Massage may be an important method for increasing endogenous oxytocin concentrations and of potential therapeutic benefit in disorders with social dysfunction such as autism where basal oxytocin levels are typically reduced. Here we investigated oxytocin release and associated neural responses using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during hand- or machine-administered massage. 40 adult male subjects received 10 min of light foot massage either by hand or machine in a counterbalanced order and then rated pleasure, intensity, arousal and how much they would pay for the massage. Blood samples were taken before and after each massage condition to determine plasma oxytocin concentrations. Neural responses from medial and lateral orbitofrontal cortex, superior temporal sulcus and somatosensory cortex were measured (fNIRS oxy-Hb) together with skin conductance responses (SCR), ratings of the massage experience, autistic traits and sensitivity to social touch. Results showed subjects gave higher ratings of pleasure, but not intensity or arousal, after hand- compared with machine-administered massage and there were no differential effects on SCR. Subjects were also willing to pay more for the hand massage. Plasma oxytocin increased after both massage by hand or machine, but more potently after massage by hand. Both basal oxytocin concentrations and increases evoked by hand-, but not machine-administered massage, were negatively associated with trait autism and attitudes towards social touch, but massage by hand-evoked changes were significant in higher as well as lower trait individuals. Increased neural responses to hand vs. machine-administered massage were found in posterior superior temporal sulcus and medial/lateral orbitofrontal cortex but not somatosensory cortex. Orbitofrontal cortex and superior temporal cortex activation during hand massage was associated with the amount of money subjects were willing to pay and between orbitofrontal cortex activation and autism scores. Thus, hand-administered massage can potently increase oxytocin release and activity in brain regions involved in social cognition and reward but not sensory aspects of affective touch. Massage by hand induced changes in both oxytocin concentrations and neural circuits involved in processing social affective trust may have therapeutic potential in the context of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jennifer Wernicke
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Yuanshu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Rui Li
- Brain and Cognition Research Laboratory, Psyche-Ark Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Jiao Le
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Juan Kou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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24
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Zhou F, Montag C, Sariyska R, Lachmann B, Reuter M, Weber B, Trautner P, Kendrick KM, Markett S, Becker B. Orbitofrontal gray matter deficits as marker of Internet gaming disorder: converging evidence from a cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal design. Addict Biol 2019; 24:100-109. [PMID: 29057579 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Internet gaming disorder represents a growing health issue. Core symptoms include unsuccessful attempts to control the addictive patterns of behavior and continued use despite negative consequences indicating a loss of regulatory control. Previous studies revealed brain structural deficits in prefrontal regions subserving regulatory control in individuals with excessive Internet use. However, because of the cross-sectional nature of these studies, it remains unknown whether the observed brain structural deficits preceded the onset of excessive Internet use. Against this background, the present study combined a cross-sectional and longitudinal design to determine the consequences of excessive online video gaming. Forty-one subjects with a history of excessive Internet gaming and 78 gaming-naive subjects were enrolled in the present study. To determine effects of Internet gaming on brain structure, gaming-naive subjects were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of daily Internet gaming (training group) or a non-gaming condition (training control group). At study inclusion, excessive Internet gamers demonstrated lower right orbitofrontal gray matter volume compared with Internet gaming-naive subjects. Within the Internet gamers, a lower gray matter volume in this region was associated with higher online video gaming addiction severity. Longitudinal analysis revealed initial evidence that left orbitofrontal gray matter volume decreased during the training period in the training group as well as in the group of excessive gamers. Together, the present findings suggest an important role of the orbitofrontal cortex in the development of Internet addiction with a direct association between excessive engagement in online gaming and structural deficits in this brain region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhou
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology; University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; China
| | - Christian Montag
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology; University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; China
- Institute of Psychology and Education; Ulm University; Germany
| | - Rayna Sariyska
- Institute of Psychology and Education; Ulm University; Germany
| | - Bernd Lachmann
- Institute of Psychology and Education; Ulm University; Germany
| | - Martin Reuter
- Department of Psychology; University of Bonn; Germany
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience; University of Bonn; Germany
| | - Bernd Weber
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience; University of Bonn; Germany
- Department for NeuroCognition; Life & Brain Center; Germany
- Department of Epileptology; University Hospital of Bonn; Germany
| | - Peter Trautner
- Department for NeuroCognition; Life & Brain Center; Germany
| | - Keith M. Kendrick
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology; University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; China
| | - Sebastian Markett
- Department of Psychology; University of Bonn; Germany
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience; University of Bonn; Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology; University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; China
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25
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Rao VR, Sellers KK, Wallace DL, Lee MB, Bijanzadeh M, Sani OG, Yang Y, Shanechi MM, Dawes HE, Chang EF. Direct Electrical Stimulation of Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex Acutely Improves Mood in Individuals with Symptoms of Depression. Curr Biol 2018; 28:3893-3902.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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26
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Saez I, Lin J, Stolk A, Chang E, Parvizi J, Schalk G, Knight RT, Hsu M. Encoding of Multiple Reward-Related Computations in Transient and Sustained High-Frequency Activity in Human OFC. Curr Biol 2018; 28:2889-2899.e3. [PMID: 30220499 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has long been implicated in value-based decision making. In recent years, convergent evidence from human and model organisms has further elucidated its role in representing reward-related computations underlying decision making. However, a detailed description of these processes remains elusive due in part to (1) limitations in our ability to observe human OFC neural dynamics at the timescale of decision processes and (2) methodological and interspecies differences that make it challenging to connect human and animal findings or to resolve discrepancies when they arise. Here, we sought to address these challenges by conducting multi-electrode electrocorticography (ECoG) recordings in neurosurgical patients during economic decision making to elucidate the electrophysiological signature, sub-second temporal profile, and anatomical distribution of reward-related computations within human OFC. We found that high-frequency activity (HFA) (70-200 Hz) reflected multiple valuation components grouped in two classes of valuation signals that were dissociable in temporal profile and information content: (1) fast, transient responses reflecting signals associated with choice and outcome processing, including anticipated risk and outcome regret, and (2) sustained responses explicitly encoding what happened in the immediately preceding trial. Anatomically, these responses were widely distributed in partially overlapping networks, including regions in the central OFC (Brodmann areas 11 and 13), which have been consistently implicated in reward processing in animal single-unit studies. Together, these results integrate insights drawn from human and animal studies and provide evidence for a role of human OFC in representing multiple reward computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Saez
- University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jack Lin
- University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Arjen Stolk
- University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Edward Chang
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | | | - Gerwin Schalk
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201, USA
| | - Robert T Knight
- University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Ming Hsu
- University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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27
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Chen PHA, Kelley WM, Lopez RB, Heatherton TF. Reducing reward responsivity and daily food desires in female dieters through domain-specific training. Soc Neurosci 2018; 14:470-483. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2018.1495667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pin-Hao A. Chen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
| | - William M. Kelley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
| | | | - Todd F. Heatherton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
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28
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Eisinger RS, Urdaneta ME, Foote KD, Okun MS, Gunduz A. Non-motor Characterization of the Basal Ganglia: Evidence From Human and Non-human Primate Electrophysiology. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:385. [PMID: 30026679 PMCID: PMC6041403 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the basal ganglia have been implicated in a growing list of human behaviors, they include some of the least understood nuclei in the brain. For several decades studies have employed numerous methodologies to uncover evidence pointing to the basal ganglia as a hub of both motor and non-motor function. Recently, new electrophysiological characterization of the basal ganglia in humans has become possible through direct access to these deep structures as part of routine neurosurgery. Electrophysiological approaches for identifying non-motor function have the potential to unlock a deeper understanding of pathways that may inform clinical interventions and particularly neuromodulation. Various electrophysiological modalities can also be combined to reveal functional connections between the basal ganglia and traditional structures throughout the neocortex that have been linked to non-motor behavior. Several reviews have previously summarized evidence for non-motor function in the basal ganglia stemming from behavioral, clinical, computational, imaging, and non-primate animal studies; in this review, instead we turn to electrophysiological studies of non-human primates and humans. We begin by introducing common electrophysiological methodologies for basal ganglia investigation, and then we discuss studies across numerous non-motor domains–emotion, response inhibition, conflict, decision-making, error-detection and surprise, reward processing, language, and time processing. We discuss the limitations of current approaches and highlight the current state of the information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Eisinger
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Morgan E Urdaneta
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Kelly D Foote
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Michael S Okun
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Neurology, Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Aysegul Gunduz
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Neurology, Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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29
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Papageorgiou GK, Sallet J, Wittmann MK, Chau BKH, Schüffelgen U, Buckley MJ, Rushworth MFS. Inverted activity patterns in ventromedial prefrontal cortex during value-guided decision-making in a less-is-more task. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1886. [PMID: 29192186 PMCID: PMC5709383 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01833-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Ventromedial prefrontal cortex has been linked to choice evaluation and decision-making in humans but understanding the role it plays is complicated by the fact that little is known about the corresponding area of the macaque brain. We recorded activity in macaques using functional magnetic resonance imaging during two very different value-guided decision-making tasks. In both cases ventromedial prefrontal cortex activity reflected subjective choice values during decision-making just as in humans but the relationship between the blood oxygen level-dependent signal and both decision-making and choice value was inverted and opposite to the relationship seen in humans. In order to test whether the ventromedial prefrontal cortex activity related to choice values is important for decision-making we conducted an additional lesion experiment; lesions that included the same ventromedial prefrontal cortex region disrupted normal subjective evaluation of choices during decision-making. Ventromedial prefrontal cortex in humans shows functional magnetic resonance imaging signals related to the subjective values of choices that are taken during decision-making as well as task-negative signals. Here, the authors report that in macaque ventromedial prefrontal cortex both activity patterns are inverted and lesions of this area disrupt subjective choice evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios K Papageorgiou
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OX1 3UD, Oxford, UK. .,McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Jerome Sallet
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OX1 3UD, Oxford, UK
| | - Marco K Wittmann
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OX1 3UD, Oxford, UK
| | - Bolton K H Chau
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OX1 3UD, Oxford, UK.,Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Urs Schüffelgen
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OX1 3UD, Oxford, UK
| | - Mark J Buckley
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OX1 3UD, Oxford, UK
| | - Matthew F S Rushworth
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OX1 3UD, Oxford, UK
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30
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Stolyarova A, Izquierdo A. Complementary contributions of basolateral amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex to value learning under uncertainty. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28682238 PMCID: PMC5533586 DOI: 10.7554/elife.27483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We make choices based on the values of expected outcomes, informed by previous experience in similar settings. When the outcomes of our decisions consistently violate expectations, new learning is needed to maximize rewards. Yet not every surprising event indicates a meaningful change in the environment. Even when conditions are stable overall, outcomes of a single experience can still be unpredictable due to small fluctuations (i.e., expected uncertainty) in reward or costs. In the present work, we investigate causal contributions of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in rats to learning under expected outcome uncertainty in a novel delay-based task that incorporates both predictable fluctuations and directional shifts in outcome values. We demonstrate that OFC is required to accurately represent the distribution of wait times to stabilize choice preferences despite trial-by-trial fluctuations in outcomes, whereas BLA is necessary for the facilitation of learning in response to surprising events. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.27483.001 Nobody likes waiting – we opt for online shopping to avoid standing in lines, grow impatient in traffic, and often prefer restaurants that serve food quickly. When making decisions, humans and other animals try to maximize the benefits by weighing up the costs and rewards associated with a situation. Many regions in the brain help us choose the best options based on quality and size of rewards, and required waiting times. Even before we make decisions, the activity in these brain regions predicts what we will choose. Sometimes, however, unexpected changes can lead to longer waiting times and our preferences suddenly become less desirable. The brain can detect such changes by comparing the outcomes we anticipate to those we experience. When the outcomes are surprising, specific areas in the brain such as the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex help us learn to make better choices. However, as surprising events can occur purely by chance, we need to be able to ignore irrelevant surprises and only learn from meaningful ones. Until now, it was not clear whether the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex play specific roles in successfully learning under such conditions. Stolyarova and Izquierdo trained rats to select between two images and rewarded them with sugar pellets after different delays. If rats chose one of these images they received the rewards after a predictable delay that was about 10 seconds, while choosing the other one produced variable delays – sometimes the time intervals were either very short or very long. Then, the waiting times for one of the alternatives changed unexpectedly. Rats with healthy brains quickly learned to choose the option with the shorter waiting time. Stolyarova and Izquierdo repeated the experiments with rats that had damage in a part of the amygdala. These rats learned more slowly, particularly when the variable option changed for the better. Rats with damage to the orbitofrontal cortex failed to learn at all. Stolyarova and Izquierdo then examined the rats’ behavior during delays. Rats with damage to the orbitofrontal cortex could not distinguish between meaningful and irrelevant surprises and always looked for the food pellet (i.e. anticipated a reward) at the average delay interval. These findings highlight two brain regions that help us distinguish meaningful surprises from irrelevant ones. A next step will be to examine how the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex interact during learning and see if changes to the activity of these brain regions may affect responses. Advanced methods to non-invasively manipulate brain activity in humans may help people who find it hard to cope with changes; or individuals suffering from substance use disorders, who often struggle to give up drugs that provide them immediate and predictable rewards. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.27483.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Stolyarova
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Alicia Izquierdo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Integrative Center for Addictions, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,The Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
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31
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Morrison I. Keep Calm and Cuddle on: Social Touch as a Stress Buffer. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-016-0052-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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32
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten L Kringelbach
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK Centre for Music in the Brain (MIB), Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Kristina M Rapuano
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover NH, USA
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33
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On Cuteness: Unlocking the Parental Brain and Beyond. Trends Cogn Sci 2016; 20:545-558. [PMID: 27211583 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cuteness in offspring is a potent protective mechanism that ensures survival for otherwise completely dependent infants. Previous research has linked cuteness to early ethological ideas of a 'Kindchenschema' (infant schema) where infant facial features serve as 'innate releasing mechanisms' for instinctual caregiving behaviours. We propose extending the concept of cuteness beyond visual features to include positive infant sounds and smells. Evidence from behavioural and neuroimaging studies links this extended concept of cuteness to simple 'instinctual' behaviours and to caregiving, protection, and complex emotions. We review how cuteness supports key parental capacities by igniting fast privileged neural activity followed by slower processing in large brain networks also involved in play, empathy, and perhaps even higher-order moral emotions.
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