Altered Ventral Striatum–Hippocampus Connectivity During Reward Processing as an Endophenotype for Psychosis

2022 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. e7-e9
Author(s):  
Felipe V. Gomes
Keyword(s):  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Reward Processing

Reward-Associated Gamma Oscillations in Ventral Striatum Are Regionally Differentiated and Modulate Local Firing Activity

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 1658-1672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Kalenscher ◽  
Carien S. Lansink ◽  
Jan V. Lankelma ◽  
Cyriel M. A. Pennartz
Keyword(s):  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Phase Locking ◽  
Gamma Oscillations ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Temporal Organization ◽  
Gamma Activity ◽  
Neural Ensembles ◽  
Gamma Range ◽  
Gamma Power

Oscillations of local field potentials (LFPs) in the gamma range are found in many brain regions and are supposed to support the temporal organization of cognitive, perceptual, and motor functions. Even though gamma oscillations have also been observed in ventral striatum, one of the brain's most important structures for motivated behavior and reward processing, their specific function during ongoing behavior is unknown. Using a movable tetrode array, we recorded LFPs and activity of neural ensembles in the ventral striatum of rats performing a reward-collection task. Rats were running along a triangle track and in each round collected one of three different types of rewards. The gamma power of LFPs on subsets of tetrodes was modulated by reward-site visits, discriminated between reward types, between baitedness of reward locations and was different before versus after arrival at a reward site. Many single units in ventral striatum phase-locked their discharge pattern to the gamma oscillations of the LFPs. Phase-locking occurred more often in reward-related than in reward-unrelated neurons and LFPs. A substantial number of simultaneously recorded LFPs correlated poorly with each other in terms of gamma rhythmicity, indicating that the expression of gamma activity was heterogeneous and regionally differentiated. The orchestration of LFPs and single-unit activity by way of gamma rhythmicity sheds light on the functional architecture of the ventral striatum and the temporal coordination of ventral striatal activity for modulating downstream areas and regulating synaptic plasticity.

scholarly journals Reward processing dysfunction in ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex in Parkinson's disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 82-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéfan du Plessis ◽  
Meija Bossert ◽  
Matthijs Vink ◽  
Leigh van den Heuvel ◽  
Soraya Bardien ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Reward Processing

scholarly journals Early-life adversity and adolescent depression: mechanisms involving the ventral striatum

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie Goff ◽  
Nim Tottenham
Keyword(s):  
Neural Development ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Adolescent Depression ◽  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Limbic Structure ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Reward Circuitry ◽  
Established Risk Factor

Early-life adversity is a well-established risk factor for the development of depression later in life. Here we discuss the relationship between early-life adversity and depression, focusing specifically on effects of early-life caregiver deprivation on alterations in the neural and behavioral substrates of reward-processing. We also examine vulnerability to depression within the context of sensitive periods of neural development and the timing of adverse exposure. We further review the development of the ventral striatum, a limbic structure implicated in reward processing, and its role in depressive outcomes following early-life adversity. Finally, we suggest a potential neurobiological mechanism linking early-life adversity and altered ventral striatal development. Together these findings may help provide further insight into the role of reward circuitry dysfunction in psychopathological outcomes in both clinical and developmental populations.

scholarly journals Reward Enhances Connectivity between the Ventral Striatum and the Default Mode Network

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Dobryakova ◽  
David V Smith
Keyword(s):  
Default Mode Network ◽  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Interaction Analysis ◽  
Personality Characteristic ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Default Mode ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
Psychophysiological Interaction ◽  
Multiple Regions

One of the central topics in cognitive neuroscience revolves around understanding how responses in the default mode network (DMN) relate to cognitive process and disease states. While there has been many investigations of the intrinsic patterns of activation and connectivity of the DMN with other networks at rest, i.e. when an individual is not engaged in any particular behavior, to truly understand the influence and significance of the DMN activation and connectivity, we must study it in association with a particular process. Reward processing is an integral part of goal-directed behavior that has been shown to rely on the striatum, a subcortical brain region that is connected to multiple regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) that belong to the DMN. Yet, it remains unclear how the DMN interacts with the striatum during reward processing. To investigate this issue, we analyzed card-guessing task data of 453 subjects from the Human Connectome Project and applied a novel network-based psychophysiological interaction analysis (nPPI) that quantified reward-dependent connectivity of the DMN. We show that only the DMN exhibits increased connectivity with the ventral striatum (VS) during the receipt of reward. This result was specific to the DMN and the strength of connectivity was associated with the personality characteristic of openness. These findings point to a novel role of the DMN during reward processing, and to the nPPI approach being able to capture a unique contribution of a collection of regions to task performance.

scholarly journals Meta-analysis of reward processing in major depressive disorder reveals distinct abnormalities within the reward circuit

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommy H. Ng ◽  
Lauren B. Alloy ◽  
David V. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Reward Circuitry ◽  
The Common ◽  
Empirical Foundation ◽  
Reward Circuit

Abstract Many neuroimaging studies have investigated reward processing dysfunction in major depressive disorder. These studies have led to the common idea that major depressive disorder is associated with blunted responses within the reward circuit, particularly in the ventral striatum. Yet, the link between major depressive disorder and reward-related responses in other regions remains inconclusive, thus limiting our understanding of the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder. To address this issue, we performed a coordinate-based meta-analysis of 41 whole-brain neuroimaging studies encompassing reward-related responses from a total of 794 patients with major depressive disorder and 803 healthy controls. Our findings argue against the common idea that major depressive disorder is primarily linked to deficits within the reward system. Instead, our results demonstrate that major depressive disorder is associated with opposing abnormalities in the reward circuit: hypo-responses in the ventral striatum and hyper-responses in the orbitofrontal cortex. The current findings suggest that dysregulated corticostriatal connectivity may underlie reward-processing abnormalities in major depressive disorder, providing an empirical foundation for a more refined understanding of abnormalities in the reward circuitry in major depressive disorder.

scholarly journals The impact of torture on interpersonal threat and reward neurocircuitry

2020 ◽  
pp. 000486742095081
Author(s):  
Belinda Liddell ◽  
Gin S Malhi ◽  
Kim L Felmingham ◽  
Jessica Cheung ◽  
Tim Outhred ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Torture Survivors ◽  
Connectivity Patterns ◽  
Disorder Symptom ◽  
Interpersonal Threat

Objective: Torture adversely influences emotional functioning, but the neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning its impact are unknown. This study examined how torture exposure affects the neural substrates of interpersonal threat and reward processing. Methods: Male refugees with ( N = 31) and without ( N = 27) torture exposure completed a clinical interview and functional magnetic resonance imaging scan where they viewed fear, happy and neutral faces. Between-group activations and neural coupling were examined as moderated by posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity and cumulative trauma load. Results: Posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity and trauma load significantly moderated group differences in brain activation and connectivity patterns. Torture survivors deactivated the ventral striatum during happy processing compared to non-torture survivor controls as a function of increased posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity – particularly avoidance symptoms. The ventral striatum was more strongly coupled with the inferior frontal gyrus in torture survivors. Torture survivors also showed left hippocampal deactivation to both fear and happy faces, moderated by trauma load, compared to controls. Stronger coupling between the hippocampus and frontal, temporoparietal and subcortical regions during fear processing was observed, with pathways being predicted by avoidance and hyperarousal symptoms. Conclusion: Torture exposure was associated with distinct brain activity and connectivity patterns during threat and reward processing, dependent on trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity. Torture appears to affect emotional brain functioning, and findings have the potential to guide more targeted interventions for torture survivors.

Frontostriatal Connectivity During Reward Anticipation

2017 ◽  
Vol 225 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alena Becker ◽  
Martin Fungisai Gerchen ◽  
Martina Kirsch ◽  
Bettina Ubl ◽  
Sivaniya Subramaniapillai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Alcohol Use Disorder ◽  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Dorsal Striatum ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Reward Anticipation ◽  
Patient Groups ◽  
The Common ◽  
Related Pattern

Abstract. Neurobiological research indicates that altered reward processing is among the most promising risk mechanisms in alcohol use disorder and depression. To elucidate differences and similarities between both disorders, we investigated clinical patients and at-risk individuals in two studies using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) monetary reward paradigm. In the first study, alcohol use disorder patients compared to depressed and healthy individuals showed increased activation of the ventral striatum during reward anticipation. In contrast, both patient groups showed reduced frontostriatal connectivity compared to controls. In the second study, at-risk comorbid individuals showed decreased activation in the dorsal striatum along with decreased frontostriatal connectivity. While the connectivity results replicate the common pattern found for the patient groups, the activation results indicate a more depression-related pattern in individuals prone to developing both disorders. In conclusion, frontostriatal connectivity might be a promising transdiagnostic marker for depression, alcohol use disorder, and their comorbidity.

scholarly journals Reward Acts on the pFC to Enhance Distractor Resistance of Working Memory Representations

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 2812-2826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean James Fallon ◽  
Roshan Cools
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Functional Coupling ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Cognitive Stability ◽  
Memory Representations ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
Differential Coupling ◽  
Dependent Interaction

Working memory and reward processing are often thought to be separate, unrelated processes. However, most daily activities involve integrating these two types of information, and the two processes rarely, if ever, occur in isolation. Here, we show that working memory and reward interact in a task-dependent manner and that this task-dependent interaction involves modulation of the pFC by the ventral striatum. Specifically, BOLD signal during gains relative to losses in the ventral striatum and pFC was associated not only with enhanced distractor resistance but also with impairment in the ability to update working memory representations. Furthermore, the effect of reward on working memory was accompanied by differential coupling between the ventral striatum and ignore-related regions in the pFC. Together, these data demonstrate that reward-related signals modulate the balance between cognitive stability and cognitive flexibility by altering functional coupling between the ventral striatum and the pFC.

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