Neural Processing of Risk

Abstract

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.

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

“…This has an emotional impact and such risk processing was associated with emotion processing (e.g. Bach et al, 2009;Mohr et al, 2010a). Thereby, particularly lay persons that are not familiar with for instance the scientific and statistical background of certain risky conditions are prone to a more affect-or emotion-based estimation when faced with the necessity of evaluating a risk or a benefit (Loewenstein et al, 2001;Slovic et al, 2002).…”

“…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).…”

“…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). In this context, it was argued that lay-persons may recruit more emotion-associated brain areas as insula, amygdala and thalamic regions during risk processing (Anderson et al, 2003;Craig, 2002;Critchley et al, 2004;Singer et al, 2009;Vorhold et al, 2007).…”

“…Presented stimuli or terms had to be assessed in relation to a personal risk for the subject, or decision making was investigated under risky conditions with reward or loss for the subject (overview in Mohr et al, 2010a, e.g. Bach et al, 2009Christopoulos et al, 2009;Huettel, 2006;Preuschoff et al, 2006;Quartz, 2009;Smith et al, 2009;Vorhold et al, 2007;Xu et al, 2009, and others).…”

“…Based on the mentioned previous reports associating risk and emotion processing circuits (Mohr et al, 2010a;Quartz, 2009) we hypothesized that evaluating the degree of risk for the society of various hazards will in case of high risk recruit brain areas involved in different aspects of emotion processing despite addressing no imminent personal meaning. In this context, experience-based emotional signals or markers may be important to contribute to risk estimation.…”