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Updated: Jun 5, 2026
05:04
An Electrophysiology Protocol to Measure Reward Anticipation and Processing in Children
Published on: October 4, 2018
Waiting to perceive: reward or punishment?
Cornelis H M Brunia1, Steven A Hackley, Geert J M van Boxtel
1Department of Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands. C.H.M.Brunia@uvt.nl
Summary
The stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) tracks action expectations. This review connects SPN findings to attention, emotion, and reward systems, highlighting its role in the anterior insular cortex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Dopaminergic reward system and error-related negativity (ERN) research focus on expected vs. actual outcomes.
- The stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) is a psychophysiological measure of action expectation with high temporal resolution.
- SPN's neural, cognitive, and affective correlates are well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and integrate existing research on the SPN.
- To link SPN findings with current research on attention, emotion, and reward systems.
- To emphasize the role of the anterior insular cortex in the pre-feedback SPN.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of neurobiological and psychophysiological studies.
- Integration of findings on SPN with research on attention networks (dorsal and ventral).
- Connecting SPN to the somatic marker hypothesis, ERN, and reward system models.
Main Results:
- The SPN serves as a key index for action-related expectations.
- Established SPN correlates align with findings in attention, somatic signaling, and reward processing.
- The anterior insular cortex is identified as a critical region for the pre-feedback SPN.
Conclusions:
- The SPN is a valuable neurophysiological marker for understanding action-outcome comparisons.
- Integrating SPN research offers insights into neurological and psychiatric conditions.
- The anterior insular cortex plays a significant role in generating anticipatory signals reflected by the SPN.
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