1. Anticipating control over aversive stimuli is mediated by the medial prefrontal cortex: An fMRI study with healthy adults
- Author
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Wade-Bohleber, Laura Maria, Haugg, Amelie, Huber, Sabrina, Ernst, Jutta, Grimm, Simone, Recher, Dominique, Richter, Andre, Seifritz, Erich, Boeker, Heinz, Northoff, Georg, University of Zurich, and Wade-Bohleber, Laura Maria
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Prefrontal Cortex ,616.8: Neurologie und Krankheiten des Nervensystems ,610 Medicine & health ,Gyrus Cinguli ,Humans ,2741 Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging ,aversion ,Insular Cortex ,Research Articles ,3614 Radiological and Ultrasound Technology ,Brain Mapping ,Ventral Tegmental Area ,control anticipation ,Middle Aged ,10058 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ,Anticipation, Psychological ,2702 Anatomy ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,functional magnetic resonance imaging ,10057 Klinik für Konsiliarpsychiatrie und Psychosomatik ,2728 Neurology (clinical) ,10054 Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics ,2808 Neurology ,Ventral Striatum ,Auditory Perception ,Female ,Psychomotor Performance ,medial prefrontal cortex ,Research Article - Abstract
The anticipation of control over aversive events in life is relevant for our mental health. Insights on the underlying neural mechanisms remain limited. We developed a new functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task that uses auditory stimuli to explore the neural correlates of (1) the anticipation of control over aversion and (2) the processing of aversion. In a sample of 25 healthy adults, we observed increased neural activation in the medial prefrontal cortex (ventromedial prefrontal cortex and rostral anterior cingulate cortex), other brain areas relevant for reward anticipation (ventral striatum, brainstem [ventral tegmental area], midcingulate cortex), and the posterior cingulate cortex when they anticipated control over aversion compared with anticipating no control (1). The processing of aversive sounds compared to neutral sounds (2) was associated with increased neural activation in the bilateral posterior insula. Our findings provide evidence for the important role of medial prefrontal regions in control anticipation and highlight the relevance of conceiving the neural mechanisms involved within a reward‐based framework., The anticipation of control over aversive events in life is relevant for our mental health. In healthy adults, control anticipation over aversive sounds is associated with increased neural activation in the medial prefrontal cortex and other brain areas relevant for reward anticipation.
- Published
- 2021