title: The integration of negative affect, pain and cognitive control in the cingulate cortex.
abstract: It has been argued that emotion, pain and cognitive control are functionally segregated in distinct subdivisions of the cingulate cortex. However, recent observations encourage a fundamentally different view. Imaging studies demonstrate that negative affect, pain and cognitive control activate an overlapping region of the dorsal cingulate--the anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC). Anatomical studies reveal that the aMCC constitutes a hub where information about reinforcers can be linked to motor centres responsible for expressing affect and executing goal-directed behaviour. Computational modelling and other kinds of evidence suggest that this intimacy reflects control processes that are common to all three domains. These observations compel a reconsideration of the dorsal cingulate's contribution to negative affect and pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, WI 53706, USA. shackman@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Alexander J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Shackman
authors.forename: Tim V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Salomons
authors.forename: Heleen A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Slagter
authors.forename: Andrew S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Jameel J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology