scholarly journals Performance monitoring and the medial prefrontal cortex: a review of individual differences and context effects as a window on self-regulation

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefon J. R. van Noordt ◽  
Sidney J. Segalowitz
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Performance Monitoring ◽  
Context Effects ◽  
Self Regulation

scholarly journals Human Plasma BDNF Is Associated With Amygdala-Prefrontal Cortex Functional Connectivity and Problem Drinking Behaviors

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Stephanie M Gorka ◽  
Tara Teppen ◽  
Milena Radoman ◽  
K Luan Phan ◽  
Subhash C Pandey
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Alcohol Use Disorder ◽  
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Drinking Behaviors ◽  
Threat Of Shock

Abstract Background Preclinical studies suggest that decreased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the amygdala play a role in anxiety and alcohol use disorder. The association between brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and amygdala function in humans with alcohol use disorder is still unclear, although neuroimaging studies have also implicated the amygdala in alcohol use disorder and suggest that alcohol use disorder is associated with disrupted functional connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex during aversive states. Methods The current study investigated whether plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in individuals with and without alcohol use disorder (n = 57) were associated with individual differences in amygdala reactivity and amygdala-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity during 2 forms of aversive responding captured via functional magnetic resonance imaging: anxiety elicited by unpredictable threat of shock and fear elicited by predictable threat of shock. We also examined whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor and brain function were associated with binge drinking episodes and alcohol use disorder age of onset. Results During anxiety, but not fear, lower levels of plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor were associated with less connectivity between the left amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex and the inferior frontal gyrus. In addition, within individuals with alcohol use disorder (only), lower levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and amygdala-medial prefrontal cortex functional connectivity during anxiety were associated with more binge episodes within the past 60 days and a lower age of alcohol use disorder onset. There were no associations between brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and focal amygdala task reactivity. Conclusions Together, the results indicate that plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels are related to amygdala circuit functioning in humans, particularly during anxiety, and these individual differences may relate to drinking behaviors.

scholarly journals Spatial gradient in value representation along the medial prefrontal cortex reflects individual differences in prosociality

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (25) ◽  
pp. 7851-7856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunhae Sul ◽  
Philippe N. Tobler ◽  
Grit Hein ◽  
Susanne Leiberg ◽  
Daehyun Jung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Gradual Transition ◽  
Spatial Gradient ◽  
Neural Data ◽  
Other Regarding ◽  
Study Participants

Despite the importance of valuing another person’s welfare for prosocial behavior, currently we have only a limited understanding of how these values are represented in the brain and, more importantly, how they give rise to individual variability in prosociality. In the present study, participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a prosocial learning task in which they could choose to benefit themselves and/or another person. Choice behavior indicated that participants valued the welfare of another person, although less so than they valued their own welfare. Neural data revealed a spatial gradient in activity within the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), such that ventral parts predominantly represented self-regarding values and dorsal parts predominantly represented other-regarding values. Importantly, compared with selfish individuals, prosocial individuals showed a more gradual transition from self-regarding to other-regarding value signals in the MPFC and stronger MPFC–striatum coupling when they made choices for another person rather than for themselves. The present study provides evidence of neural markers reflecting individual differences in human prosociality.

The regional homogeneity patterns of the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex predict individual differences in decision impulsivity

NeuroImage ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 200 ◽  
pp. 556-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenyu Lv ◽  
Qiang Wang ◽  
Chuansheng Chen ◽  
Jiang Qiu ◽  
Gui Xue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Regional Homogeneity

scholarly journals Individual Differences in Human Path Integration Abilities Correlate with Gray Matter Volume in Retrosplenial Cortex, Hippocampus, and Medial Prefrontal Cortex

eNeuro ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. ENEURO.0346-16.2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth R. Chrastil ◽  
Katherine R. Sherrill ◽  
Irem Aselcioglu ◽  
Michael E. Hasselmo ◽  
Chantal E. Stern
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Path Integration ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Retrosplenial Cortex ◽  
Matter Volume

scholarly journals Working with memory: evidence for a role for the medial prefrontal cortex in performance monitoring during spatial delayed alternation

2012 ◽  
Vol 108 (12) ◽  
pp. 3276-3288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole K. Horst ◽  
Mark Laubach
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Performance Monitoring ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Preceding Trial ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Recent Trial ◽  
Delayed Alternation ◽  
Outcome Information ◽  
Trial Outcomes

Neuronal spike activity was recorded in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) as rats performed an operant spatial delayed alternation task. The sensitivities of neurons to choice, outcome, and temporal information-related aspects of the task were examined. About one-third of neurons were sensitive to the location of delayed responding while animals were at one of two spatially distinct response ports. However, many fewer neurons (<10%) maintained choice information over the delay, each exhibiting persistent differences in firing rates for only a portion of the delay. Another third of cells encoded information about behavioral outcomes, and some of these neurons (>20% of all cells) fired at distinct rates in advance of correct and incorrect responses (i.e., prospective encoding of outcome). Other cells were sensitive to reward-related feedback stimuli (>20%), the outcome of the preceding trial (retrospective encoding, 5–10%), and/or the time since a trial was last performed (10–20%). An anatomical analysis of the recording sites found that cells that were sensitive to choice, temporal, and outcome information were commingled within the middle layers of the mPFC. Together, our results suggest that spatial processing is only part of what drives mPFC neurons to become active during spatial working memory tasks. We propose that the primary role of mPFC in these tasks is to monitor behavioral performance by encoding information about recent trial outcomes to guide expectations and responses on the current trial. By encoding these variables, the mPFC is able to exert control over action and ensure that tasks are performed effectively and efficiently.

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