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Distinct Reward Properties are Encoded via Corticostriatal Interactions
David V Smith1, Anastasia E Rigney1, Mauricio R Delgado1
1Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
Scientific Reports
|February 3, 2016
Summary
This study reveals how the brain processes reward properties. Distinct corticostriatal interactions encode affective and informative reward aspects, impacting behavior and future reward acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Decision Making
Background:
- The striatum is crucial for reward processing, but its complex role is challenged by the multifaceted nature of rewards.
- Rewards possess affective (emotional) and informative (action-guiding) properties that influence behavior differently.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how affective and informative reward properties are differentially encoded within the corticostriatal system.
- To determine the relationship between striatal activation, corticostriatal interactions, and the utilization of reward information.
Main Methods:
- Two guessing games were employed to isolate affective and informative reward properties.
- Brain activity and functional connectivity within the striatum and prefrontal cortex were analyzed using neuroimaging techniques.
Main Results:
- Both affective and informative reward properties activated the nucleus accumbens within the striatum.
- Striatal responses to informative properties predicted subsequent information use for monetary gains.
- The striatum showed distinct connectivity patterns with the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex for affective versus informative reward properties.
Conclusions:
- Affective and informative reward properties are distinctly encoded through corticostriatal interactions.
- These findings advance our understanding of how the corticostriatal system contributes to complex reward processing and behavior.
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