Dan Foti1, Anna Weinberg2, Edward M Bernat3, Greg H Proudfit2. 1. Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA. Electronic address: foti@purdue.edu. 2. Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA. 3. Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The feedback negativity (FN) is an event-related potential that differentiates unfavorable versus favorable outcomes. Although thought to reflect error-related activity within the anterior cingulate cortex, recent work indicates the FN may also reflect reward-related activity that has been linked to the basal ganglia. To date, it remains unclear how to reconcile these conflicting perspectives. METHODS: We decomposed the FN by applying time-frequency analysis to isolate activity unique to monetary losses and gains. The FN was recorded from 84 individuals during a laboratory gambling task. RESULTS: Two signals contributed to the FN elicited by unpredictable outcomes: theta activity (4-7Hz) was increased following monetary loss, and delta activity (<3Hz) was increased following monetary gain. Predictable outcomes elicited delta but not theta activity. Source analysis revealed distinct generators, with loss-related theta localized to the anterior cingulate cortex and gain-related delta to a possible source in the striatum. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress reactivity were specifically associated with blunted gain-related delta. CONCLUSIONS: The FN may be a composite of loss- and gain-related neural activity, reflecting distinct facets of reward processing. SIGNIFICANCE: Gain-related delta activity may provide unique information about reward dysfunction in major depression and other internalizing psychopathology.
OBJECTIVE: The feedback negativity (FN) is an event-related potential that differentiates unfavorable versus favorable outcomes. Although thought to reflect error-related activity within the anterior cingulate cortex, recent work indicates the FN may also reflect reward-related activity that has been linked to the basal ganglia. To date, it remains unclear how to reconcile these conflicting perspectives. METHODS: We decomposed the FN by applying time-frequency analysis to isolate activity unique to monetary losses and gains. The FN was recorded from 84 individuals during a laboratory gambling task. RESULTS: Two signals contributed to the FN elicited by unpredictable outcomes: theta activity (4-7Hz) was increased following monetary loss, and delta activity (<3Hz) was increased following monetary gain. Predictable outcomes elicited delta but not theta activity. Source analysis revealed distinct generators, with loss-related theta localized to the anterior cingulate cortex and gain-related delta to a possible source in the striatum. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress reactivity were specifically associated with blunted gain-related delta. CONCLUSIONS: The FN may be a composite of loss- and gain-related neural activity, reflecting distinct facets of reward processing. SIGNIFICANCE: Gain-related delta activity may provide unique information about reward dysfunction in major depression and other internalizing psychopathology.
Authors: Paige Ethridge; Autumn Kujawa; Melanie A Dirks; Kodi B Arfer; Ellen M Kessel; Daniel N Klein; Anna Weinberg Journal: Psychophysiology Date: 2017-07-12 Impact factor: 4.016
Authors: Brady D Nelson; Zachary P Infantolino; Daniel N Klein; Greg Perlman; Roman Kotov; Greg Hajcak Journal: Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging Date: 2017-08-07