scholarly journals Reward and adversity processing circuits, their competition and interactions with dopamine and serotonin signaling.

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Vadovičová ◽  
Roberto Gasparotti
Keyword(s):  
Inhibitory Avoidance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Lateral Habenula ◽  
Serotonin Signaling ◽  
Processing Circuit

We propose that dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), anterior insula (AI) and adjacent caudolateral orbitofrontal cortex (clOFC), project to lateral habenula (LHb) and D2 loop of ventral striatum (VS), forming a functional adversity processing circuit, directed towards inhibitory avoidance and self-control. This circuit learns what is bad or harmful to us, evaluates and predicts risks - to stop us from selecting and going/moving for the bad or suboptimal choices that decrease our well-being and survival chances. Proposed role of dACC is to generate a WARNING signal when things are going (or might end) bad or wrong to prevent negative consequences: pain, harm, loss or failure. The AI signals about bad, low, noxious and aversive qualities, which might make us sick or cause discomfort. These cortical adversity processing regions activate directly and indirectly (via D2 loop of VS) the LHb, which then inhibits dopamine and serotonin release (and is reciprocally inhibited by VTA/SNc, DRN) to avoid choosing and doing things leading to harm or loss, but also to make us feel worse, even down when overstimulated. We propose that dopamine attenuates output of the adversity processing circuit, thus decreasing inhibitory avoidance and self-control, while serotonin attenuates dACC, AI, clOFC, D1 loop of VS, LHb, amygdala and pain pathway. Thus, by reciprocal inhibition, by causing dopamine and serotonin suppression - and by being suppressed by them, the adversity processing circuit competes with reward processing circuit for control of choice behaviour and affective states. We propose stimulating effect of dopamine and calming inhibitory effect of serotonin on the active avoidance circuit involving amygdala, linked to threat processing, anger, fear, self-defense and violence. We describe causes and roles of dopamine and serotonin signaling in health and in mental dysfunctions. We add new idea on ventral ACC role in signaling that we are doing well and inducing serotonin, when we gain/reach safety, comfort, valuable resources (social or biological rewards), affection and achieve goals.

scholarly journals Impaired subjective well-being in schizophrenia is associated with reduced anterior cingulate activity during reward processing

2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 589-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Gilleen ◽  
S. S. Shergill ◽  
S. Kapur
Keyword(s):  
Brain Activity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Whole Brain ◽  
Reward Anticipation ◽  
Reward Network ◽  
Healthy Participants

BackgroundPatients with schizophrenia have substantially reduced subjective well-being (SW) compared to healthy individuals. It has been suggested that diminished SW may be related to deficits in the neural processing of reward but this has not been shown directly. We hypothesized that, in schizophrenia, lower SW would be associated with attenuated reward-related activation in the reward network.MethodTwenty patients with schizophrenia with a range of SW underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reward task. The brain activity underlying reward anticipation and outcome in schizophrenia was examined and compared to that of 12 healthy participants using a full factorial analysis. Region of interest (ROI) analyses of areas within the reward network and whole-brain analyses were conducted to reveal neural correlates of SW.ResultsReward-related neural activity in schizophrenia was not significantly different from that of healthy participants; however, the patients with schizophrenia showed significantly diminished SW. Both ROI and whole-brain analyses confirmed that SW scores in the patients correlated significantly with activity, specifically in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), during both reward anticipation and reward outcome. This association was not seen in the healthy participants.ConclusionsIn patients with schizophrenia, reduced activation of the dACC during multiple aspects of reward processing is associated with lower SW. As the dACC has been widely linked to coupling of reward and action, and the link to SW is apparent over anticipation and outcome, these findings suggest that SW deficits in schizophrenia may be attributable to reduced integration of environmental rewarding cues, motivated behaviour and reward outcome.

scholarly journals Ramping ensemble activity in dorsal anterior cingulate neurons during persistent commitment to a decision

2015 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 2439-2449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommy C. Blanchard ◽  
Caleb E. Strait ◽  
Benjamin Y. Hayden
Keyword(s):  
Firing Rate ◽  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Neural Processes ◽  
Reward Amount ◽  
Ensemble Activity

We frequently need to commit to a choice to achieve our goals; however, the neural processes that keep us motivated in pursuit of delayed goals remain obscure. We examined ensemble responses of neurons in macaque dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), an area previously implicated in self-control and persistence, in a task that requires commitment to a choice to obtain a reward. After reward receipt, dACC neurons signaled reward amount with characteristic ensemble firing rate patterns; during the delay in anticipation of the reward, ensemble activity smoothly and gradually came to resemble the postreward pattern. On the subset of risky trials, in which a reward was anticipated with 50% certainty, ramping ensemble activity evolved to the pattern associated with the anticipated reward (and not with the anticipated loss) and then, on loss trials, took on an inverted form anticorrelated with the form associated with a win. These findings enrich our knowledge of reward processing in dACC and may have broader implications for our understanding of persistence and self-control.

scholarly journals Altruistic behaviors relieve physical pain

2019 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 950-958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yilu Wang ◽  
Jianqiao Ge ◽  
Hanqi Zhang ◽  
Haixia Wang ◽  
Xiaofei Xie
Keyword(s):  
Brain Activity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Altruistic Behavior ◽  
Physical Pain ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Painful Shock ◽  
The Right

Engaging in altruistic behaviors is costly, but it contributes to the health and well-being of the performer of such behaviors. The present research offers a take on how this paradox can be understood. Across 2 pilot studies and 3 experiments, we showed a pain-relieving effect of performing altruistic behaviors. Acting altruistically relieved not only acutely induced physical pain among healthy adults but also chronic pain among cancer patients. Using functional MRI, we found that after individuals performed altruistic actions brain activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral insula in response to a painful shock was significantly reduced. This reduced pain-induced activation in the right insula was mediated by the neural activity in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), while the activation of the VMPFC was positively correlated with the performer’s experienced meaningfulness from his or her altruistic behavior. Our findings suggest that incurring personal costs to help others may buffer the performers from unpleasant conditions.

scholarly journals PROCRASTINATION AND SELF-CONCEPT IN MORE/LESS CONSCIENTIOUS STUDENTS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Berinšterová ◽  
◽  
Miroslava Bozogáňová ◽  
Monika Magdová ◽  
Jana Kapová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Negatively Associated

"Given its significant negative consequences for university students, procrastination has been studied extensively and shown to be associated with conscientiousness as a personality trait. Involving 333 university students doing teacher training programmes (68.5% female; Mage=20.51 (SD=1.61); 83.48% undergraduates doing a bachelor’s degree), our study aimed to explore the association between procrastination among more/less conscientious students and selected self-concept variables (self-control, self-efficacy, etc.). Our questionnaire was based on the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (Gosling, Rentfrow, Swann, 2003), the Self-Control Scale (Finkenauer, Engels, Baumeister, 2005), the Self-efficacy Scale (Ko?š, Hefteyova, Schwarzer, Jerusalem, 1993), and the Procrastination Scale for Student Populations (Gabrhelík, 2008); our control variables were gender and well- being (Subjective Well-Being Scale, Chan-Hoong, Soon, 2011). The sample was divided into two groups – (1) less conscientious and (2) more conscientious) – using the method of visual binning in SPSS 20. A t-test for independent samples and linear regression were used for data analysis. The less conscientious students in our sample reported a higher level of procrastination (t=6.479; df=310; p?0.001; Cohen's d=0.681). A linear model was conducted for both groups (the dependent variable being the level of procrastination, the independent variables being gender and the levels of self-control, self-efficacy, and well-being). Both models were significant ((1) F=8.449; p?0.001; R2=32.6; (2) F= 7.277; p?0.001; R2=25.7). Among the less conscientious students, the levels of self-control (?=-0.546; t=-5.262; p?0.001) and self-efficacy (?=-0.238; t=-2.092; p?0.001) were negatively associated with procrastination. Among the more conscientious students, the level of self-control (?=0.404; t=-3.929; p?0.001) was negatively associated with procrastination and “being a man” (0–man; 1–woman) (?=-0.307; t=-3.219; p?0.05) was significantly associated with the level of procrastination. The results of our study show trait and personality differences in the level of procrastination, highlighting the importance of self-control and self-efficacy development among university students. Interactive programmes with an impact on students’ self-concept can be a significant contribution to students’ ability to cope with their study requirements effectively. It could be argued that the limits of this study include cross-sectional and self-reported data."

scholarly journals Shared and unique neural circuitry underlying temporally unpredictable threat and reward processing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milena Radoman ◽  
Lynne Lieberman ◽  
Jagan Jimmy ◽  
Stephanie M Gorka
Keyword(s):  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Circuitry ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Posterior Insula ◽  
Middle Occipital Gyrus ◽  
The Right

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.

Neurocircuitry Underlying OCD

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne N. Haber
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Reward Learning ◽  
Imaging Studies ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Individual Level

Structural and functional imaging studies have identified abnormalities in the brains of individuals with OCD. The most consistent findings point to pathology in the circuitry connecting the prefrontal cortex with the basal ganglia, and especially to abnormalities in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), and striatum. This chapter describes the detailed anatomy and interconnectivity of these structures, together with its functional correlates, to provide context for the more detailed treatment of abnormalities seen in OCD provided in the chapters that follow. These corticostriatal circuits are critical for reward processing, reward learning, and action selection, and so disruption in these circuitries in OCD may underlie abnormalities in these domains. Precisely defining the anatomy of these circuits and how it is disrupted in OCD, at both the group and individual level, is increasingly important, as it may help us to optimize anatomically targeted treatment strategies.

scholarly journals Aversive Motivation and Cognitive Control: Neural, Monoaminergic, and Computational Mechanisms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Marianne Yee ◽  
Xiamin Leng ◽  
Amitai Shenhav ◽  
Todd Samuel Braver
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Precise Measurement ◽  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Negative Reinforcement ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Control Allocation ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Lateral Habenula ◽  
Aversive Motivation

Aversive motivation plays a prominent role in motivating individuals to exert cognitive control. However, a significant obstacle has been the complexity of behavioral responses attributed to aversive incentives. In this review, we posit that incorporating motivational context and mixed motivation will enhance our current understanding of the neural and computational mechanisms underpinning these interactions. We highlight how delineating whether aversive incentives facilitate negative reinforcement or punishment can inform dissociable neural pathways and computational mechanisms for cognitive control allocation. Additionally, we demonstrate how including multiple bundled incentives in experimental paradigms enables precise measurement of aversive influences on cognitive control. The lateral habenula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex are featured as part of a broader neural circuit for aversive motivational value, and dopaminergic and serotonergic projections may guide dissociable strategies for cognitive control allocation. Finally, these motivational dimensions help generate normative predictions for divergent strategies for control allocation. In sum, incorporating these motivational dimensions will facilitate more sophisticated understanding of the neural, monoaminergic, and computational mechanisms of aversive motivation and cognitive control.

scholarly journals The Use of Web-Based Social Networks: Trends, Antecedents, and Consequences

Webology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (Special Issue 03) ◽  
pp. 233-245
Author(s):  
Navreet Kaur ◽  
Anmol Sandhu
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The Impact

Online Social Networks (OSNs) have redefined interpersonal relationships and added a new dimension to communication patterns. According to latest reports, there has been a steep rise in the number of active social media users around the globe. The present paper is a review of research evidence on the antecedent factors leading to such usage and its consequences thereof. Unique features of the virtual environment trigger certain personality traits which are reported to be major predictors of social networking behaviour. Studies on the impact of social media on consumers have unearthed both positive and negative consequences. Research findings, for example, reveal that social media consumption has a therapeutic effect in terms of fulfilment of certain needs and an increase in self-esteem; whereas activation of a narcissistic state and lowered self-control have an adverse effect on psychological well-being and behaviour. The paper summarizes the workplace implications of web-based social networking and also briefly discusses the recent and emerging trends in digital behaviours with particular reference to the Covid-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Reward systems and cognitions in Major Depressive Disorder

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Laure Cléry-Melin ◽  
Fabrice Jollant ◽  
Philip Gorwood
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Impairments ◽  
Dorsal Striatum ◽  
Treatment Resistance ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Lateral Habenula ◽  
Full Remission

A lack of motivation and anhedonia represent frequent and pervasive symptoms in depression, although with poor specificity. Historically described as a response bias, reward-related impairments in depression may account for the important aspects of the cognitive impairments associated with diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Reward processing is a broad psychological construct that can be parsed into 3 distinct components known as “reinforcement learning” (learning), “reward responsiveness” (liking), and “motivation to obtain a reward” (wanting). Depressed patients respond hyposensitively to reward and maladaptively to punishment: this pattern is related to a dysfunction in the frontostriatal systems modulated by the monoamine systems; seems to be observed in medicated and unmedicated patients with depression and in healthy individuals with high levels of anhedonia; and could be observed in patients with a history of depression, even when in full remission. Considered to be cognitive impairments, reward-related-impairments may also constitute part of an underlying neurobiological vulnerability to major depressive disorder (MDD). For example, the reward-related impairment is state dependent and, more or less, correlated with symptom severity in some studies but has also been proposed as being trait like, with endophenotype characteristics, possibly contributing to the persistence of the disease or treatment resistance. The 3 core aspects of reward processing have specific neurobiological correlates that involve the ventral and dorsal striatum, lateral habenula, ventral tegmental area, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These structures underline the important role of the dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway, but glutamate and serotonin could also have an important role, at least in some aspects of reward-related impairments.

scholarly journals The neural correlates of grandmaternal caregiving

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1963) ◽  
Author(s):  
James K. Rilling ◽  
Amber Gonzalez ◽  
Minwoo Lee
Keyword(s):  
Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Emotional Empathy ◽  
Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Secondary Somatosensory Cortex

In many societies, grandmothers are important caregivers, and grandmaternal investment is often associated with improved grandchild well-being. Here, we present, to our knowledge, the first study to examine grandmaternal brain function. We recruited 50 grandmothers with at least one biological grandchild between 3 and 12 years old. Brain function was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging as grandmothers viewed pictures of their grandchild, an unknown child, the same-sex parent of the grandchild, and an unknown adult. Grandmothers also completed questionnaires to measure their degree of involvement with and attachment to their grandchild. After controlling for age and familiarity of stimuli, viewing grandchild pictures activated areas involved with emotional empathy (insula and secondary somatosensory cortex) and movement (motor cortex and supplementary motor area). Grandmothers who more strongly activated areas involved with cognitive empathy (temporo-parietal junction and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex) when viewing pictures of the grandchild desired greater involvement in caring for the grandchild. Finally, compared with results from an earlier study of fathers, grandmothers more strongly activated regions involved with emotional empathy (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, insula and secondary somatosensory cortex), and motivation (nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum and caudate nucleus). All in all, our findings suggest that emotional empathy may be a key component of grandmaternal responses to their grandchildren.

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