Neural substrates on the judgment of sequential benefits and losses.

Abstract

People need to adapt to situations where they experience sequential benefits (or losses) to ensure survival. This study investigated the neural substrates involved in judgments of sequential benefits and losses. A total of 29 healthy volunteers participated in this study, in which they were asked to participate in a game of purchasing stocks while a magnetic resonance imaging scan was performed. This game had two main types of trials: (1) participants received four sequential financial benefits (or losses), and (2) participants received an equal amount of benefits (or losses) immediately. The results showed greater activation of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) when fourbenefits werereceived sequentially thanwhenan equal amount of benefits wasreceived immediately. This indicates that the OFC plays a crucial role in the process of mental integration of sequential benefits and interpretation oftheir valuations. It also showed greater activation of the dorsal striatum when four sequentallosses werereceived than whenan equal amount of losses wasreceived immediately. However, it cannot be concluded that activation of the dorsal striatum reflects the differences between sequential and immediate losses, because previous studies have not confirmed this perspective. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the function of the striatum in processingthese losses.