scholarly journals Neural substrates for anticipation and consumption of social and monetary incentives in depression

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 815-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenhong He ◽  
Dandan Zhang ◽  
Nils Muhlert ◽  
Rebecca Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Imaging Study ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Neural Representation ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Social Pain ◽  
Social Loss ◽  
Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Social Incentives ◽  
Social Gain

Abstract Depression has been reliably associated with abnormalities in the neural representation of reward and loss. However, most studies have focused on monetary incentives; fewer studies have considered neural representation of social incentives. A direct comparison of non-social and social incentives within the same study would establish whether responses to the different incentives are differentially affected in depression. The functional magnetic resonance imaging study presented here investigated the neural activity of individuals with subthreshold depression (SD) and healthy controls (HCs) while they participated in an incentive delay task offering two types of reward (monetary gain vs social approval) and loss (monetary loss vs social disapproval). Compared to HCs, individuals with SD showed increased subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) activity during anticipation of social loss, whereas the response in the putamen was decreased during consumption of social gain. Individuals with SD also exhibited diminished insula responses in consuming social loss. Furthermore, positive connectivity between the insula and ventral lateral pre-frontal cortex (VLPFC) was observed in individuals with SD while negative connectivity was found in HCs when consuming social loss. These results demonstrate neural alterations in individuals with depression, specific to the processing of social incentives, mainly characterised by dysfunction within the ‘social pain network’ (sgACC, insula and VLPFC).

Understanding of Self and Others: Neurobiological Underpinnings of Social Cognition

2019 ◽  
pp. 197-210
Author(s):  
Franziska K. Goer ◽  
Rebecca Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Moral Emotions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Processing Theory ◽  
Moral Content ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Social Decision Making

This chapter examines the processes underlying interpersonal interactions in both healthy control individuals (HC) and those with major depressive disorder (MDD). The chapter focuses on four key types of social cognition that give rise to the intricate and dynamic nature of human social functioning, including self-referential processing, other-processing (‘theory of mind’), moral emotion, and social decision-making. It reviews studies investigating the neural substrates of social cognition in HC and MDD, most commonly using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Key brain areas identified include prefrontal cortex (PFC; including, most prevalently, the orbitolateral, medial–lateral, and dorsolateral PFC), temporal–parietal regions (in relation to theory of mind), and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (in relation to both specific moral emotions, such as guilt, and moral content more generally).

scholarly journals Neuronal selectivity for spatial positions of offers and choices in five reward regions

2016 ◽  
Vol 115 (3) ◽  
pp. 1098-1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caleb E. Strait ◽  
Brianna J. Sleezer ◽  
Tommy C. Blanchard ◽  
Habiba Azab ◽  
Meghan D. Castagno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Neural Representation ◽  
Neuronal Responses ◽  
Binding Problem ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Value Coding

When we evaluate an option, how is the neural representation of its value linked to information that identifies it, such as its position in space? We hypothesized that value information and identity cues are not bound together at a particular point but are represented together at the single unit level throughout the entirety of the choice process. We examined neuronal responses in two-option gambling tasks with lateralized and asynchronous presentation of offers in five reward regions: orbitofrontal cortex (OFC, area 13), ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC, area 14), ventral striatum (VS), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC, area 25). Neuronal responses in all areas are sensitive to the positions of both offers and of choices. This selectivity is strongest in reward-sensitive neurons, indicating that it is not a property of a specialized subpopulation of cells. We did not find consistent contralateral or any other organization to these responses, indicating that they may be difficult to detect with aggregate measures like neuroimaging or studies of lesion effects. These results suggest that value coding is wed to factors that identify the object throughout the reward system and suggest a possible solution to the binding problem raised by abstract value encoding schemes.

Heightened neural sensitivity to social pain and social gain in major depressive disorder.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Gillard ◽  
Aliza Werner-Seidler ◽  
Jason Stretton ◽  
Tim Dalgleish
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Social Pain ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Neural Substrate ◽  
Social Gain

Social rejection represents a proximal risk factor for depression onset that is thought to activate a neuro-cognitive alarm system for social and physical pain. However, emerging evidence suggests that both social pain and social gain share an overlapping neural substrate. This remains unexplored in the context of depression. Eighteen participants with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and 21 controls listened to and vividly revisited autobiographical social experiences in an ecologically valid script-driven imagery paradigm using naturalistic memory narratives. An overlapping neural substrate in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula was activated while revisiting both social-inclusion and -rejection experiences relative to neutral ones. These same regions were more active in MDD compared to controls for both rejection and inclusion narratives. Our findings add to the evidence for an overlapping neural substrate of complex representations for both positive and negative social signals and suggest a heightened neural sensitivity in MDD towards any socially salient information as opposed to selective sensitivity towards negative social experiences.

Brain reactivity to humorous films is affected by insomnia

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernesto Sanz-Arigita ◽  
Yannick Daviaux ◽  
Marc Joliot ◽  
Bixente Dilharreguy ◽  
Jean-Arthur Micoulaud-Franchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Neural Representation ◽  
Cingulate Gyrus ◽  
Anterior Cingulate Gyrus ◽  
Left Caudate ◽  
Neural Reactivity ◽  
The Right

Abstract Study objectives Emotional reactivity to negative stimuli has been investigated in insomnia, but little is known about emotional reactivity to positive stimuli and its neural representation. Methods We used 3T fMRI to determine neural reactivity during the presentation of standardized short, 10-40-s, humorous films in insomnia patients (n=20, 18 females, aged 27.7 +/- 8.6 years) and age-matched individuals without insomnia (n=20, 19 females, aged 26.7 +/- 7.0 years), and assessed humour ratings through a visual analogue scale (VAS). Seed-based functional connectivity was analysed for left and right amygdala networks: group-level mixed-effects analysis (FLAME; FSL) was used to compare amygdala connectivity maps between groups. Results fMRI seed-based analysis of the amygdala revealed stronger neural reactivity in insomnia patients than in controls in several brain network clusters within the reward brain network, without humour rating differences between groups (p = 0.6). For left amygdala connectivity, cluster maxima were in the left caudate (Z=3.88), left putamen (Z=3.79) and left anterior cingulate gyrus (Z=4.11), while for right amygdala connectivity, cluster maxima were in the left caudate (Z=4.05), right insula (Z=3.83) and left anterior cingulate gyrus (Z=4.29). Cluster maxima of the right amygdala network were correlated with hyperarousal scores in insomnia patients only. Conclusions Presentation of humorous films leads to increased brain activity in the neural reward network for insomnia patients compared to controls, related to hyperarousal features in insomnia patients, in the absence of humor rating group differences. These novel findings may benefit insomnia treatment interventions.

scholarly journals Prolonged ketamine infusion modulates limbic connectivity and induces sustained remission of treatment-resistant depression

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua S. Siegel ◽  
Ben J. A. Palanca ◽  
Beau M. Ances ◽  
Evan D. Kharasch ◽  
Julie A. Schweiger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Limbic System ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Sustained Remission ◽  
Treatment Resistant Depression ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Post Infusion ◽  
Resistant Depression

AbstractKetamine produces a rapid antidepressant response in over 50% of adults with treatment-resistant depression. A long infusion of ketamine may provide durable remission of depressive symptoms, but the safety, efficacy, and neurobiological correlates are unknown. In this open-label, proof-of-principle study, adults with treatment-resistant depression (N = 23) underwent a 96-h infusion of intravenous ketamine (0.15 mg/kg/h titrated toward 0.6 mg/kg/h). Clonidine was co-administered to reduce psychotomimetic effects. We measured clinical response for 8 weeks post-infusion. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess functional connectivity in patients pre- and 2 weeks post-infusion and in matched non-depressed controls (N = 27). We hypothesized that responders to therapy would demonstrate response-dependent connectivity changes while all subjects would show treatment-dependent connectivity changes. Most participants completed infusion (21/23; mean final dose 0.54 mg/kg/h, SD 0.13). The infusion was well tolerated with minimal cognitive and psychotomimetic side effects. Depressive symptoms were markedly reduced (MADRS 29 ± 4 at baseline to 9 ± 8 one day post-infusion), which was sustained at 2 weeks (13 ± 8) and 8 weeks (15 ± 8). Imaging demonstrated a response-dependent decrease in hyperconnectivity of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex to the default mode network, and a treatment-dependent decrease in hyperconnectivity within the limbic system (hippocampus, amygdala, medial thalamus, nucleus accumbens). In exploratory analyses, connectivity was increased between the limbic system and frontal areas, and smaller right hippocampus volume at baseline predicted larger MADRS change. A single prolonged infusion of ketamine provides a tolerated, rapid, and sustained response in treatment-resistant depression and normalizes depression-related hyperconnectivity in the limbic system and frontal lobe.ClinicalTrials.gov: Treatment Resistant Depression (Pilot), NCT01179009.

scholarly journals Cannabinoids, reward processing, and psychosis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Gunasekera ◽  
Kelly Diederen ◽  
Sagnik Bhattacharyya
Keyword(s):  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Dopamine Synthesis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Drug Challenge ◽  
Psychotomimetic Effects

Abstract Background Evidence suggests that an overlap exists between the neurobiology of psychotic disorders and the effects of cannabinoids on neurocognitive and neurochemical substrates involved in reward processing. Aims We investigate whether the psychotomimetic effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and the antipsychotic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) are underpinned by their effects on the reward system and dopamine. Methods This narrative review focuses on the overlap between altered dopamine signalling and reward processing induced by cannabinoids, pre-clinically and in humans. A systematic search was conducted of acute cannabinoid drug-challenge studies using neuroimaging in healthy subjects and those with psychosis Results There is evidence of increased striatal presynaptic dopamine synthesis and release in psychosis, as well as abnormal engagement of the striatum during reward processing. Although, acute THC challenges have elicited a modest effect on striatal dopamine, cannabis users generally indicate impaired presynaptic dopaminergic function. Functional MRI studies have identified that a single dose of THC may modulate regions involved in reward and salience processing such as the striatum, midbrain, insular, and anterior cingulate, with some effects correlating with the severity of THC-induced psychotic symptoms. CBD may modulate brain regions involved in reward/salience processing in an opposite direction to that of THC. Conclusions There is evidence to suggest modulation of reward processing and its neural substrates by THC and CBD. Whether such effects underlie the psychotomimetic/antipsychotic effects of these cannabinoids remains unclear. Future research should address these unanswered questions to understand the relationship between endocannabinoid dysfunction, reward processing abnormalities, and psychosis.

scholarly journals The neural substrates of the warning effect: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study

2013 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 230-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumiko Yoshida ◽  
Hiroki C. Tanabe ◽  
Masamichi J. Hayashi ◽  
Hiroaki Kawamichi ◽  
Takanori Kochiyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Imaging Study ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Warning Effect

Acetaminophen Reduces Social Pain

2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 931-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Nathan DeWall ◽  
Geoff MacDonald ◽  
Gregory D. Webster ◽  
Carrie L. Masten ◽  
Roy F. Baumeister ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Social Rejection ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Physical Pain ◽  
Social Pain ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Pain, whether caused by physical injury or social rejection, is an inevitable part of life. These two types of pain—physical and social—may rely on some of the same behavioral and neural mechanisms that register pain-related affect. To the extent that these pain processes overlap, acetaminophen, a physical pain suppressant that acts through central (rather than peripheral) neural mechanisms, may also reduce behavioral and neural responses to social rejection. In two experiments, participants took acetaminophen or placebo daily for 3 weeks. Doses of acetaminophen reduced reports of social pain on a daily basis (Experiment 1). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure participants’ brain activity (Experiment 2), and found that acetaminophen reduced neural responses to social rejection in brain regions previously associated with distress caused by social pain and the affective component of physical pain (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula). Thus, acetaminophen reduces behavioral and neural responses associated with the pain of social rejection, demonstrating substantial overlap between social and physical pain.

The Role of the Right Prefrontal Cortex in Self-evaluation of the Face: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 342-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoyo Morita ◽  
Shoji Itakura ◽  
Daisuke N. Saito ◽  
Satoshi Nakashita ◽  
Tokiko Harada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Face Recognition ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Imaging Study ◽  
The Self ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
The Right

Individuals can experience negative emotions (e.g., embarrassment) accompanying self-evaluation immediately after recognizing their own facial image, especially if it deviates strongly from their mental representation of ideals or standards. The aim of this study was to identify the cortical regions involved in self-recognition and self-evaluation along with self-conscious emotions. To increase the range of emotions accompanying self-evaluation, we used facial feedback images chosen from a video recording, some of which deviated significantly from normal images. In total, 19 participants were asked to rate images of their own face (SELF) and those of others (OTHERS) according to how photogenic they appeared to be. After scanning the images, the participants rated how embarrassed they felt upon viewing each face. As the photogenic scores decreased, the embarrassment ratings dramatically increased for the participant's own face compared with those of others. The SELF versus OTHERS contrast significantly increased the activation of the right prefrontal cortex, bilateral insular cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and bilateral occipital cortex. Within the right prefrontal cortex, activity in the right precentral gyrus reflected the trait of awareness of observable aspects of the self; this provided strong evidence that the right precentral gyrus is specifically involved in self-face recognition. By contrast, activity in the anterior region, which is located in the right middle inferior frontal gyrus, was modulated by the extent of embarrassment. This finding suggests that the right middle inferior frontal gyrus is engaged in self-evaluation preceded by self-face recognition based on the relevance to a standard self.

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