Sensitivity of the brain to loss aversion during risky gambles.
Little is known about the neural systems that subserve human loss aversion. A recent neuroimaging study by Tom, Poldrack and colleagues reports that this pattern of behaviour is directly tied to the greater sensitivity of the brain to potential losses compared with potential gains and uncovers a brain network whose activity increases with potential gains and decreases with potential losses. These results challenge the common view that loss aversion engages a distinct emotion-related brain network (e.g. amygdala and insula).
Dreher
Jean-Claude
JC
Cognitive Neuroscience Center, CNRS-Lyon 1 University, Reward and Decision Making Group, 67 Boulevard Pinel, 69675 Bron, France.
D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000502:physiology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012309:Risk-Taking