Localized microstimulation of primate pregenual cingulate cortex induces negative decision-making

Nat Neurosci. 2012 May;15(5):776-85. doi: 10.1038/nn.3088.

Abstract

The pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC) has been implicated in human anxiety disorders and depression, but the circuit-level mechanisms underlying these disorders are unclear. In healthy individuals, the pACC is involved in cost-benefit evaluation. We developed a macaque version of an approach-avoidance decision task used to evaluate anxiety and depression in humans and, with multi-electrode recording and cortical microstimulation, we probed pACC function as monkeys performed this task. We found that the macaque pACC has an opponent process-like organization of neurons representing motivationally positive and negative subjective value. Spatial distribution of these two neuronal populations overlapped in the pACC, except in one subzone, where neurons with negative coding were more numerous. Notably, microstimulation in this subzone, but not elsewhere in the pACC, increased negative decision-making, and this negative biasing was blocked by anti-anxiety drug treatment. This cortical zone could be critical for regulating negative emotional valence and anxiety in decision-making.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / drug effects
  • Action Potentials / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Anti-Anxiety Agents / pharmacology
  • Avoidance Learning / drug effects
  • Avoidance Learning / physiology*
  • Brain Mapping*
  • Cues
  • Decision Making / physiology*
  • Diazepam / pharmacology
  • Female
  • Gyrus Cinguli / cytology
  • Gyrus Cinguli / physiology*
  • Logistic Models
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neurons / classification
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / physiology
  • Nonlinear Dynamics
  • Reaction Time / drug effects
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Reward

Substances

  • Anti-Anxiety Agents
  • Diazepam