Neural mechanism of intertemporal choice: From discounting future gains to future losses

Xu, Lijuan; Liang, Zhu‐Yuan; Wang, Kun; Li, Shu; Jiang, Tianzi

doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2008.12.061

Cited by 140 publications

(159 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…We found representations of risk in posterior and dorsomedial thalamus. The posterior thalamus was found to be active in the processing of emotions such as regret (Chandrasekhar et al, 2008) and showed stronger activity for losses compared with gains (Xu et al, 2009). Furthermore, the posterior thalamus is connected to the parietal cortex, which we also found to be active in risk processing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Neural Processing of Risk

Mohr¹,

Biele²,

Heekeren³

2010

J. Neurosci.

373

302

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In our everyday life, we often have to make decisions with risky consequences, such as choosing a restaurant for dinner or choosing a form of retirement saving. To date, however, little is known about how the brain processes risk. Recent conceptualizations of risky decision making highlight that it is generally associated with emotions but do not specify how emotions are implicated in risk processing. Moreover, little is known about risk processing in non-choice situations and how potential losses influence risk processing. Here we used quantitative meta-analyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments on risk processing in the brain to investigate (1) how risk processing is influenced by emotions, (2) how it differs between choice and non-choice situations, and (3) how it changes when losses are possible. By showing that, over a range of experiments and paradigms, risk is consistently represented in the anterior insula, a brain region known to process aversive emotions such as anxiety, disappointment, or regret, we provide evidence that risk processing is influenced by emotions. Furthermore, our results show risk-related activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex in choice situations but not in situations in which no choice is involved or a choice has already been made. The anterior insula was predominantly active in the presence of potential losses, indicating that potential losses modulate risk processing.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Neural Processing of Risk

Mohr¹,

Biele²,

Heekeren³

2010

J. Neurosci.

373

302

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It was proposed that the interoceptive sensation of bodily signals depends on input from the viscera represented in the anterior insula (Critchley et al, 2004;Singer et al, 2009). In the context of risk processing, thalamic and insular contributions were reported during intertemporal choices involving losses which were associated with accompanying negative emotions (Xu et al, 2009). Thalamus and insula were also found to be involved in risky decisions and in anticipating risk (Huettel, 2006;Mohr et al, 2010aMohr et al, , 2010b).…”

Section: Anatomical and Functional Features Of The Brain Regions Invomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cingulate regions are known to mediate integration and evaluation of emotional, motivational and cognitive information, and to modulate attention (Bishop et al, 2004;Vogt, 2005) with direct connections to amygdala, thalamus, prefrontal and insular areas and to the posterior parietal lobe (Goldman-Rakic, 1988). Cingulate activity in risk tasks was associated with a higher probability of a risky choice (Christopoulos et al, 2009) and was increased when risky choices involved immediate losses (Xu et al, 2009). Activation within the PCC was suggested to signal the subjective preferences that guide visual orienting within a gambling task comprising risky choices (McCoy and Platt, 2005).…”

Section: Anatomical and Functional Features Of The Brain Regions Invomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our data enhance and differentiate this view by supporting the contribution of a viscerosensitive component to the estimation of high risk. Earlier reports addressing risk evaluation emphasized the emotional components as reflected by for instance amygdala, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), and insular activation (Fukui et al, 2005;Huettel, 2006;Mohr et al, 2010a;Quartz, 2009;Vorhold et al, 2007;Weller et al, 2007;Xu et al, 2009). These regions may be involved in risk evaluation in general, independent of the degree of risk.…”

Section: Intuitive Risk Estimation and "Gut"-feelingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They then rely stronger on previous experiences, trust, narratives or metaphors than on sound knowledge (Fischhoff et al, 1982;Sjöberg, 1998), and they may use somatic signals associated with the emotional impact (Damasio, 1996) related to a hazard as a cue for intuitively estimating the risks: "risk as feelings" (Slovic et al, 2004). Recent studies provided a profound investigation and discussion on the relation of risk processing and emotions regarding the neurobiological backgrounds (Bach et al, 2009;Mohr et al, 2010a;Quartz, 2009;Vorhold et al, 2007;Xu et al, 2009). A meta-analysis assessing risk-processing related brain regions identified a network including bilateral anterior insula, dorsomedial and posterior thalamus, dorsomedial and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DM/DLPFC), and right parietal cortex to be involved (Mohr et al, 2010a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Neural correlates of reward processing in schizophrenia — Relationship to apathy and depression

Simon

Biller

Walther

et al. 2010

Schizophrenia Research

207

179

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The present study employs a new framework to categorise the heterogeneous findings on the relationship between impaired reward processing and negative and affective symptoms of schizophrenia. Based on previous behavioural and neuroimaging studies we postulate that "wanting" (i.e. anticipation) of a reward is specifically related to apathy, whereas "liking" (i.e. hedonic impact) is related to anhedonia and depression-symptoms commonly observed in schizophrenia. Fifteen patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder treated with atypical antipsychotic drugs and fifteen healthy controls performed a probabilistic monetary incentive delay task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. At the group level we found no significant differences between patients and controls in neural activation during anticipation or receipt of a reward. However, in patients with schizophrenia specific relationships between ventral-striatal activation and symptoms were observed. Ventral-striatal activation during reward anticipation was negatively correlated with apathy, while activation during receipt of reward was negatively correlated with severity of depressive symptoms. These results suggest that the link between negative symptoms and reward anticipation might specifically relate to apathy, i.e. a lack of motivation and drive. Impaired hedonic reward processing might contribute to the development of depressive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, but it is not directly associated with self-rated anhedonia. These results indicate the necessity of more specifically differentiating negative and affective symptoms in schizophrenia in order to understand the role of the reward system in their pathogenesis.

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