Differential Activation Patterns in the Same Brain Region Led to Opposite Emotional States.
In human studies, how averaged activation in a brain region relates to human behavior has been extensively investigated. This approach has led to the finding that positive and negative facial preferences are represented by different brain regions. However, using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) decoded neurofeedback (DecNef) method, we found that different patterns of neural activations within the cingulate cortex (CC) play roles in representing opposite directions of facial preference. In the present study, while neutrally preferred faces were presented, multi-voxel activation patterns in the CC that corresponded to higher (or lower) preference were repeatedly induced by fMRI DecNef. As a result, previously neutrally preferred faces became more (or less) preferred. We conclude that a different activation pattern in the CC, rather than averaged activation in a different area, represents and suffices to determine positive or negative facial preference. This new approach may reveal the importance of an activation pattern within a brain region in many cognitive functions.
Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Keihanna Science City, Kyoto, Japan.|Department of Cognitive, Linguistics, & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
Kazuhisa
K
Shibata
Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Keihanna Science City, Kyoto, Japan.|Department of Cognitive, Linguistics, & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
Takeo
T
Watanabe
Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Keihanna Science City, Kyoto, Japan.
Mitsuo
M
Kawato
Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Keihanna Science City, Kyoto, Japan.|Department of Cognitive, Linguistics, & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
Yuka
Y
Sasaki
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult