Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex modulates striatal reward encoding during reappraisal of reward anticipation.

TY - JOUR

T1 - Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex modulates striatal reward encoding during reappraisal of reward anticipation.

AU - Staudinger, Markus

AU - Erk, Susanne

AU - Walter, Henrik

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - Recent research showed that cognitive emotion regulation (ER) both increases activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and decreases striatal responsivity to monetary rewards. Using a mixed monetary incentive delay/memory task as well as functional magnetic resonance imaging, we tested in healthy subjects whether ER effectively attenuates striatal reward encoding during the anticipation of reward (€1.00 vs. €0.05 reward cues) as well as subsequent target reaction times (RTs), which are an indicator of motivation to obtain reward. ER significantly diminished feelings of pleasant anticipation and slowed down €1.00 target RT. At the neural level, ER increased activity in the DLPFC and attenuated reward encoding in the left putamen. Analyses of psychophysiological interaction revealed that DLPFC activity correlated more positively with putamen activity during €0.05 than during €1.00 reward trials. Furthermore, parametric modulations showed that anticipatory left putamen activity correlated with target RT during nonregulation. No such correlation could be observed during ER, suggesting that ER had abolished preparatory target RT encoding. Our results provide evidence that ER can attenuate behavioral and striatal measures of reward-related motivation and motor preparation. Furthermore, the present findings suggest that the DLPFC might contribute to successful regulation of reward via increased promotion of low-reward responses.

AB - Recent research showed that cognitive emotion regulation (ER) both increases activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and decreases striatal responsivity to monetary rewards. Using a mixed monetary incentive delay/memory task as well as functional magnetic resonance imaging, we tested in healthy subjects whether ER effectively attenuates striatal reward encoding during the anticipation of reward (€1.00 vs. €0.05 reward cues) as well as subsequent target reaction times (RTs), which are an indicator of motivation to obtain reward. ER significantly diminished feelings of pleasant anticipation and slowed down €1.00 target RT. At the neural level, ER increased activity in the DLPFC and attenuated reward encoding in the left putamen. Analyses of psychophysiological interaction revealed that DLPFC activity correlated more positively with putamen activity during €0.05 than during €1.00 reward trials. Furthermore, parametric modulations showed that anticipatory left putamen activity correlated with target RT during nonregulation. No such correlation could be observed during ER, suggesting that ER had abolished preparatory target RT encoding. Our results provide evidence that ER can attenuate behavioral and striatal measures of reward-related motivation and motor preparation. Furthermore, the present findings suggest that the DLPFC might contribute to successful regulation of reward via increased promotion of low-reward responses.

KW - Adult

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Female

KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

KW - Brain Mapping

KW - Reward

KW - Cues

KW - Emotions/physiology

KW - Prefrontal Cortex/physiology

KW - Corpus Striatum/physiology

KW - Motivation/physiology

KW - Adult

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Female

KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

KW - Brain Mapping

KW - Reward

KW - Cues

KW - Emotions/physiology

KW - Prefrontal Cortex/physiology

KW - Corpus Striatum/physiology

KW - Motivation/physiology

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

VL - 21

SP - 2578

EP - 2588

JO - CEREB CORTEX

JF - CEREB CORTEX

SN - 1047-3211

IS - 11

M1 - 11

ER -