title: Intolerance of uncertainty and insula activation during uncertain reward.
abstract: Individuals with high intolerance of uncertainty (IU) have been shown to exhibit abnormal threat responding, which may be mediated by hyperactive anterior insula (aINS) response to uncertainty. Research has indicated that individuals with high IU also exhibit abnormal positive valence responding, suggesting that IU may impact responding to uncertainty regardless of the valence of the potential outcome. To date, no study has investigated the neural processes associated with IU and response to uncertain positive stimuli, such as rewards. Therefore, this study was designed to examine the association between individual differences in IU and neural activation during uncertain reward using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Thirty-seven adults completed a self-report measure of IU and a reward task during fMRI. Consistent with the threat literature, greater IU was associated with increased aINS activation during uncertain reward. This association was more robust for the prospective IU subscale, a dimension characterized by worry about future events. Together with prior studies, these findings provide evidence that IU is related to abnormal threat and reward responding, and that these deficits may be similarly linked to hyperactive aINS response to uncertainty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago, 1747 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gorka
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
authors.forename: Brady D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago, 1747 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA.|Department of Psychology, University of Illinois-Chicago, 1007 West Harrison St. (M/C 285), Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.|Mental Health Service Line, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, 820 S. Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.|Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and the Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois-Chicago, 808 S. Wood Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
authors.forename: K Luan
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago, 1747 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA. stewarts@uic.edu.|Department of Psychology, University of Illinois-Chicago, 1007 West Harrison St. (M/C 285), Chicago, IL, 60607, USA. stewarts@uic.edu.
authors.forename: Stewart A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shankman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010556:Personality Tests; D012201:Reward; D057566:Self Report; D035501:Uncertainty
keywords: Insula; Intolerance of uncertainty; Reward processing; fMRI