Neural correlates of frustration.
Psychological considerations suggest that the omission of rewards in humans comprises two effects: first, an allocentric effect triggering learning and behavioural changes potentially processed by dopaminergic neurons according to the prediction error theory; second, an egocentric effect representing the individual's emotional reaction, commonly called frustration. We investigated this second effect in the context of omission of monetary reward with functional magnetic resonance imaging. As expected, the contrast omission relative to receipt of reward led to a decrease in ventral striatal activation consistent with prediction error theory. Increased activation for this contrast was found in areas previously related to emotional pain: the right anterior insula and the right ventral prefrontal cortex. We interpreted this as a neural correlate of the egocentric effect.
Abler
Birgit
B
Department of Psychiatry, University of Ulm, Leimgrubenweg 12-14, 89075 Ulm, Germany. birgit.abler@medizin.uni-ulm.de
Walter
Henrik
H
Erk
Susanne
S
D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005639:Frustration; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012201:Reward; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000502:physiology
D004298:Dopamine