QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, May 11, 2005, 25(19):4806-4812; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0642-05.2005

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (150) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Knutson, B. Articles by Glover, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Knutson, B. Articles by Glover, G.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Distributed Neural Representation of Expected Value

Brian Knutson,¹ Jonathan Taylor,² Matthew Kaufman,¹ Richard Peterson,¹ and Gary Glover³

Departments of ¹Psychology, ²Statistics, and ³Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305

Anticipated reward magnitude and probability comprise dual components of expected value (EV), a cornerstone of economic and psychological theory. However, the neural mechanisms that compute EV have not been characterized. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined neural activation as subjects anticipated monetary gains and losses that varied in magnitude and probability. Group analyses indicated that, although the subcortical nucleus accumbens (NAcc) activated proportional to anticipated gain magnitude, the cortical mesial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) additionally activated according to anticipated gain probability. Individual difference analyses indicated that, although NAcc activation correlated with self-reported positive arousal, MPFC activation correlated with probability estimates. These findings suggest that mesolimbic brain regions support the computation of EV in an ascending and distributed manner: whereas subcortical regions represent an affective component, cortical regions also represent a probabilistic component, and, furthermore, may integrate the two.

Key words: gain; loss; reward; probability; monetary; striatum; accumbens; mesial prefrontal cortex; fMRI; human

---

Received Sep 28, 2004; revised March 25, 2005; accepted April 9, 2005.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. B. R. E. Brown and K. R. Ridderinkhof Aging and the neuroeconomics of decision making: A review Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, December 1, 2009; 9(4): 365 - 379. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. Luo, G. Ainslie, L. Giragosian, and J. R. Monterosso Behavioral and Neural Evidence of Incentive Bias for Immediate Rewards Relative to Preference-Matched Delayed Rewards J. Neurosci., November 25, 2009; 29(47): 14820 - 14827. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Palminteri, T. Boraud, G. Lafargue, B. Dubois, and M. Pessiglione Brain Hemispheres Selectively Track the Expected Value of Contralateral Options J. Neurosci., October 28, 2009; 29(43): 13465 - 13472. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. C. Cooper, N. G. Hollon, G. E. Wimmer, and B. Knutson Available alternative incentives modulate anticipatory nucleus accumbens activation Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, October 20, 2009; (2009) nsp031v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. I. Christopoulos, P. N. Tobler, P. Bossaerts, R. J. Dolan, and W. Schultz Neural Correlates of Value, Risk, and Risk Aversion Contributing to Decision Making under Risk J. Neurosci., October 7, 2009; 29(40): 12574 - 12583. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Xue, Z. Lu, I. P. Levin, J. A. Weller, X. Li, and A. Bechara Functional Dissociations of Risk and Reward Processing in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Cereb Cortex, May 1, 2009; 19(5): 1019 - 1027. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. N. Tobler, G. I. Christopoulos, J. P. O'Doherty, R. J. Dolan, and W. Schultz Risk-dependent reward value signal in human prefrontal cortex PNAS, April 28, 2009; 106(17): 7185 - 7190. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. L. Clatworthy, S. J. G. Lewis, L. Brichard, Y. T. Hong, D. Izquierdo, L. Clark, R. Cools, F. I. Aigbirhio, J.-C. Baron, T. D. Fryer, et al. Dopamine Release in Dissociable Striatal Subregions Predicts the Different Effects of Oral Methylphenidate on Reversal Learning and Spatial Working Memory J. Neurosci., April 15, 2009; 29(15): 4690 - 4696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. L. Croxson, M. E. Walton, J. X. O'Reilly, T. E. J. Behrens, and M. F. S. Rushworth Effort-Based Cost-Benefit Valuation and the Human Brain J. Neurosci., April 8, 2009; 29(14): 4531 - 4541. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Weber, A. Rangel, M. Wibral, and A. Falk The medial prefrontal cortex exhibits money illusion PNAS, March 31, 2009; 106(13): 5025 - 5028. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. M. Botvinick, S. Huffstetler, and J. T. McGuire Effort discounting in human nucleus accumbens Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, March 1, 2009; 9(1): 16 - 27. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. Gregorios-Pippas, P. N. Tobler, and W. Schultz Short-Term Temporal Discounting of Reward Value in Human Ventral Striatum J Neurophysiol, March 1, 2009; 101(3): 1507 - 1523. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Glascher, A. N. Hampton, and J. P. O'Doherty Determining a Role for Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Encoding Action-Based Value Signals During Reward-Related Decision Making Cereb Cortex, February 1, 2009; 19(2): 483 - 495. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Knutson and S. M Greer Anticipatory affect: neural correlates and consequences for choice Phil Trans R Soc B, December 12, 2008; 363(1511): 3771 - 3786. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. Schultz, K. Preuschoff, C. Camerer, M. Hsu, C. D Fiorillo, P. N Tobler, and P. Bossaerts Explicit neural signals reflecting reward uncertainty Phil Trans R Soc B, December 12, 2008; 363(1511): 3801 - 3811. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Rustichini Dual or unitary system? Two alternative models of decision making Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, December 1, 2008; 8(4): 355 - 362. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. d'Acremont and P. Bossaerts Neurobiological studies of risk assessment: A comparison of expected utility and mean-variance approaches Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, December 1, 2008; 8(4): 363 - 374. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P. N. Tobler, A. Kalis, and T. Kalenscher The role of moral utility in decision making: An interdisciplinary framework Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, December 1, 2008; 8(4): 390 - 401. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. E. Waugh, T. D. Wager, B. L. Fredrickson, D. C. Noll, and S. F. Taylor The neural correlates of trait resilience when anticipating and recovering from threat Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, December 1, 2008; 3(4): 322 - 332. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. N. Tobler, G. I. Christopoulos, J. P. O'Doherty, R. J. Dolan, and W. Schultz Neuronal Distortions of Reward Probability without Choice J. Neurosci., November 5, 2008; 28(45): 11703 - 11711. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Koch, C. Schachtzabel, G. Wagner, J. R. Reichenbach, H. Sauer, and R. Schlosser The neural correlates of reward-related trial-and-error learning: An fMRI study with a probabilistic learning task Learn. Mem., October 2, 2008; 15(10): 728 - 732. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. A. Hare, J. O'Doherty, C. F. Camerer, W. Schultz, and A. Rangel Dissociating the Role of the Orbitofrontal Cortex and the Striatum in the Computation of Goal Values and Prediction Errors J. Neurosci., May 28, 2008; 28(22): 5623 - 5630. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Weiler, C. Bellebaum, and I. Daum Aging affects acquisition and reversal of reward-based associative learning Learn. Mem., April 1, 2008; 15(4): 190 - 197. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. T. Rolls, C. McCabe, and J. Redoute Expected Value, Reward Outcome, and Temporal Difference Error Representations in a Probabilistic Decision Task Cereb Cortex, March 1, 2008; 18(3): 652 - 663. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. J. Scott, C. S. Stohler, C. M. Egnatuk, H. Wang, R. A. Koeppe, and J.-K. Zubieta Placebo and Nocebo Effects Are Defined by Opposite Opioid and Dopaminergic Responses Arch Gen Psychiatry, February 1, 2008; 65(2): 220 - 231. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Trafton and E. V. Gifford Behavioral Reactivity and Addiction: The Adaptation of Behavioral Response to Reward Opportunities J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, February 1, 2008; 20(1): 23 - 35. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Simmons and B. J. Richmond Dynamic Changes in Representations of Preceding and Upcoming Reward in Monkey Orbitofrontal Cortex Cereb Cortex, January 1, 2008; 18(1): 93 - 103. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. A. Boettiger, J. M. Mitchell, V. C. Tavares, M. Robertson, G. Joslyn, M. D'Esposito, and H. L. Fields Immediate Reward Bias in Humans: Fronto-Parietal Networks and a Role for the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase 158Val/Val Genotype J. Neurosci., December 26, 2007; 27(52): 14383 - 14391. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. G. Sanfey Social Decision-Making: Insights from Game Theory and Neuroscience Science, October 26, 2007; 318(5850): 598 - 602. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. P. Paulus Decision-Making Dysfunctions in Psychiatry Altered Homeostatic Processing? Science, October 26, 2007; 318(5850): 602 - 606. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. T. Gilbert and T. D. Wilson Prospection: Experiencing the Future Science, September 7, 2007; 317(5843): 1351 - 1354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Sabatinelli, M. M. Bradley, P. J. Lang, V. D. Costa, and F. Versace Pleasure Rather Than Salience Activates Human Nucleus Accumbens and Medial Prefrontal Cortex J Neurophysiol, September 1, 2007; 98(3): 1374 - 1379. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. H. Schott, L. Niehaus, B. C. Wittmann, H. Schutze, C. I. Seidenbecher, H.-J. Heinze, and E. Duzel Ageing and early-stage Parkinson's disease affect separable neural mechanisms of mesolimbic reward processing Brain, September 1, 2007; 130(9): 2412 - 2424. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Knutson and P. Bossaerts Neural Antecedents of Financial Decisions J. Neurosci., August 1, 2007; 27(31): 8174 - 8177. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Seo and D. Lee Temporal Filtering of Reward Signals in the Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex during a Mixed-Strategy Game J. Neurosci., August 1, 2007; 27(31): 8366 - 8377. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Pessiglione, L. Schmidt, B. Draganski, R. Kalisch, H. Lau, R. J. Dolan, and C. D. Frith How the Brain Translates Money into Force: A Neuroimaging Study of Subliminal Motivation Science, May 11, 2007; 316(5826): 904 - 906. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Yacubian, T. Sommer, K. Schroeder, J. Glascher, R. Kalisch, B. Leuenberger, D. F. Braus, and C. Buchel Gene gene interaction associated with neural reward sensitivity PNAS, May 8, 2007; 104(19): 8125 - 8130. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. D Frith The social brain? Phil Trans R Soc B, April 29, 2007; 362(1480): 671 - 678. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Liu, D. K. Powell, H. Wang, B. T. Gold, C. R. Corbly, and J. E. Joseph Functional Dissociation in Frontal and Striatal Areas for Processing of Positive and Negative Reward Information J. Neurosci., April 25, 2007; 27(17): 4587 - 4597. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Bray and J. O'Doherty Neural Coding of Reward-Prediction Error Signals During Classical Conditioning With Attractive Faces J Neurophysiol, April 1, 2007; 97(4): 3036 - 3045. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. K. Fellows Advances in understanding ventromedial prefrontal function: The accountant joins the executive Neurology, March 27, 2007; 68(13): 991 - 995. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. T. Harris and S. T. Fiske Social groups that elicit disgust are differentially processed in mPFC Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, March 1, 2007; 2(1): 45 - 51. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. N. Tobler, J. P. O'Doherty, R. J. Dolan, and W. Schultz Reward Value Coding Distinct From Risk Attitude-Related Uncertainty Coding in Human Reward Systems J Neurophysiol, February 1, 2007; 97(2): 1621 - 1632. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. N. Hampton and J. P. O'Doherty Decoding the neural substrates of reward-related decision making with functional MRI PNAS, January 23, 2007; 104(4): 1377 - 1382. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Chhabra and R. A. Jacobs Near-Optimal Human Adaptive Control across Different Noise Environments. J. Neurosci., October 18, 2006; 26(42): 10883 - 10887. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Yacubian, J. Glascher, K. Schroeder, T. Sommer, D. F. Braus, and C. Buchel Dissociable systems for gain- and loss-related value predictions and errors of prediction in the human brain. J. Neurosci., September 13, 2006; 26(37): 9530 - 9537. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. N. Hampton, P. Bossaerts, and J. P. O'Doherty The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Abstract State-Based Inference during Decision Making in Humans. J. Neurosci., August 9, 2006; 26(32): 8360 - 8367. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help