Structural integrity of the prefrontal cortex modulates electrocortical sensitivity to reward
Muhammad A Parvaz1, Anna B Konova, Dardo Tomasi
1Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|November 22, 2011
Summary
The P300 brain response to monetary reward correlates with prefrontal cortex (PFC) gray matter volume in healthy individuals. Cocaine use disorder impairs this P300 response and PFC structure.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- The P300 event-related potential (ERP) reflects stimulus value, including monetary reward.
- The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is crucial for processing incentive value within the mesocortical reward pathway.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between P300 response to monetary reward and PFC gray matter volume.
- To examine these relationships in healthy controls and individuals with cocaine use disorder.
Main Methods:
- Correlational analysis of P300 amplitude (money vs. no money) with PFC gray matter volume (OFC, ACC, dlPFC, vlPFC).
- Comparison between healthy controls and individuals with cocaine use disorder.
Main Results:
- Significant positive correlation found between P300 response to money and PFC gray matter volume (OFC, ACC, dlPFC, vlPFC) in healthy participants.
- Individuals with cocaine use disorder exhibited diminished P300 sensitivity to money and reduced gray matter volume in vlPFC and OFC.
- Interdependence between P300 response and PFC gray matter volume was compromised in cocaine use disorder.
Conclusions:
- P300 response to monetary reward is associated with the structural integrity of specific PFC subregions in healthy individuals.
- Cocaine use disorder disrupts the neural mechanisms underlying reward processing, affecting both P300 sensitivity and PFC gray matter volume.
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