Activity In Orbitofrontal Cortex Research Articles

Neural responses to gaming content on social media in young adults

Excessive gaming can impair both mental and physical health, drawing widespread public and clinical attention, especially among young generations. People are now more exposed to gaming-related content on social media than before, and this exposure may have a significant impact on their behavior. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this effect remain unexplored. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), this study aimed to investigate the neural activity induced by gaming-related content on social media among young adults casually playing online games. While being assessed by fMRI, the participants watched gaming-related videos and neutral (nongaming) videos on social media. The gaming-related cues significantly activated several brain areas, including the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, superior/middle temporal gyrus, precuneus and occipital regions, compared with the neutral cues. Additionally, the participants’ gaming desire levels positively correlated with a gaming-related cue–induced activation in the left orbitofrontal cortex and the right superior temporal gyrus. These findings extend previous studies on gaming cues and provide useful information to elucidate the effects of gaming-related content on social media in young adults. Continued research using real-world gaming cues may help improve our understanding of promoting gaming habits and provide support to individuals vulnerable to gaming addiction.

Behavioral Interventions Can Improve Brain Injury-Induced Deficits in Behavioral Flexibility and Impulsivity Linked to Impaired Reward-Feedback Beta Oscillations.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects a large population, resulting in severe cognitive impairments. Although cognitive rehabilitation is an accepted treatment for some deficits, studies in patients are limited in ability to probe physiological and behavioral mechanisms. Therefore, animal models are needed to optimize strategies. Frontal TBI in a rat model results in robust and replicable cognitive deficits, making this an ideal candidate for investigating various behavioral interventions. In this study, we report three distinct frontal TBI experiments assessing behavior well into the chronic post-injury period using male Long-Evans rats. First, we evaluated the impact of frontal injury on local field potentials recorded simultaneously from 12 brain regions during a probabilistic reversal learning (PbR) task. Next, a set of rats were tested on a similar PbR task or an impulsivity task (differential reinforcement of low-rate behavior [DRL]) and half received salient cues associated with reinforcement contingencies to encourage engagement in the target behavior. After intervention on the PbR task, brains were stained for markers of activity. On the DRL task, cue relevance was decoupled from outcomes to determine if beneficial effects persisted on impulsive behavior. TBI decreased the ability to detect reinforced outcomes; this was evident in task performance and reward-feedback signals occurring at beta frequencies in lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and associated frontostriatal regions. The behavioral intervention improved flexibility and increased OFC activity. Intervention also reduced impulsivity, even after cues were decoupled, which was partially mediated by improvements in timing behavior. The current study established a platform to begin investigating cognitive rehabilitation in rats and identified a strong role for dysfunctional OFC signaling in probabilistic learning after frontal TBI.

The neural representations of valence transformation in indole processing.

Indole is often associated with a sweet and floral odor typical of jasmine flowers at low concentrations and an unpleasant, animal-like odor at high concentrations. However, the mechanism whereby the brain processes this opposite valence of indole is not fully understood yet. In this study, we aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying indole valence encoding in conversion and nonconversion groups using the smelling task to arouse pleasantness. For this purpose, 12 conversion individuals and 15 nonconversion individuals participated in an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm with low (low-indole) and high (high-indole) indole concentrations in which valence was manipulated independent of intensity. The results of this experiment showed that neural activity in the right amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex and insula was associated with valence independent of intensity. Furthermore, activation in the right orbitofrontal cortex in response to low-indole was positively associated with subjective pleasantness ratings. Conversely, activation in the right insula and amygdala in response to low-indole was positively correlated with anticipatory hedonic traits. Interestingly, while amygdala activation in response to high-indole also showed a positive correlation with these hedonic traits, such correlation was observed solely with right insula activation in response to high-indole. Additionally, activation in the right amygdala in response to low-indole was positively correlated with consummatory pleasure and hedonic traits. Regarding olfactory function, only activation in the right orbitofrontal cortex in response to high-indole was positively correlated with olfactory identification, whereas activation in the insula in response to low-indole was negatively correlated with the level of self-reported olfactory dysfunction. Based on these findings, valence transformation of indole processing in the right orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and amygdala may be associated with individual hedonic traits and perceptual differences.

Shared and distinct prefrontal cortex alterations of implicit emotion regulation in depression and anxiety: An fNIRS investigation

BackgroundEmotion regulation deficits, particularly in cognitive reappraisal, are crucial in depression and anxiety. However, research on the neural mechanisms of implicit emotion regulation is lacking, and it remains unclear whether these mechanisms are shared or distinct between the two disorders. MethodsWe investigated the neural mechanisms of implicit cognitive reappraisal in 28 individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD), 25 with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and 30 healthy controls (HC) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Participants completed an implicit cognitive reappraisal task and underwent neuropsychological and clinical assessments. ResultsWe found that MDD patients reported higher levels of rumination and lower utilization of cognitive reappraisal, while GAD patients reported reduced use of perspective-taking. Notably, both MDD and GAD patients exhibited decreased activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) compared to HC participants during implicit cognitive reappraisal. Specifically, inadequate OFC activation was observed in MDD patients, while GAD patients demonstrated OFC deactivation during the task. Furthermore, DLPFC activation showed a negative correlation with depression severity in MDD patients, while OFC activation was positively correlated with perspective-taking in GAD patients. LimitationsfNIRS has limited depth and spatial resolution. ConclusionOur fNIRS study is the first to reveal shared and distinct neurobiological profiles of depression and anxiety in implicit emotion regulation. These findings underscore the significance of reduced DLPFC/OFC activation in emotion regulation impairment and highlight unique OFC activation patterns in these disorders. These insights have potential implications for developing cognitive-behavioral therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation as treatment approaches.

Adapting to Changes in Communication: The Orbitofrontal Cortex in Language and Speech Processing.

Despite most studies on the neurobiology of language demonstrating the central part of the perisylvian network involved in language and speech function, this review attempts to complement this view by focusing on the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). This region is primarily involved in goal-directed adaptive behavior. Recently, there has been increasing evidence that the OFC is involved in language and speech tasks. This review demonstrates that not only the linguistic tasks that involve the processing of socially, pragmatically and emotionally relevant information engage OFC and its neurobiological mechanisms, but also specific receptive and expressive language performances rely on specific neurophysiological properties of this region (e.g., the gray matter volume and the functional activation of OFC and the uncinate fasciculus that connects OFC), which in many cases, demand executive functions. These findings highlight: (1) The OFC plays a relevant role in the adaptive neurobiological function of language; (2) the neurobiological mechanisms beyond linguistic and speech processes complement and interplay with the language-unique processes to achieve successful comprehension and production in the changing communicative contexts.

Long-Term Impact of Early Life Stress on Serotonin Connectivity

BackgroundChronic childhood stress is a prominent risk factor for developing affective disorders, yet mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Maintenance of optimal serotonin (5-HT) levels during early postnatal development is critical for the maturation of brain circuits. Understanding the long-lasting effects of early life stress (ELS) on serotonin-modulated brain connectivity is crucial to develop treatments for affective disorders arising from childhood stress. MethodsUsing a mouse model of chronic developmental stress, we determined the long-lasting consequences of ELS on 5-HT circuits and behavior in females and males. Using FosTRAP mice, we cross-correlated regional c-Fos density to determine brain-wide functional connectivity of the raphe nucleus. We next performed in vivo fiber photometry to establish ELS-induced deficits in 5-HT dynamics and optogenetics to stimulate 5-HT release to improve behavior. ResultsAdult female and male mice exposed to ELS showed heightened anxiety-like behavior. ELS further enhanced susceptibility to acute stress by disrupting the brain-wide functional connectivity of the raphe nucleus and the activity of 5-HT neuron population, in conjunction with increased orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) activity and disrupted 5-HT release in medial OFC. Optogenetic stimulation of 5-HT terminals in the medial OFC elicited an anxiolytic effect in ELS mice in a sex-dependent manner. ConclusionsThese findings suggest a significant disruption in 5-HT–modulated brain connectivity in response to ELS, with implications for sex-dependent vulnerability. The anxiolytic effect of the raphe–medial OFC circuit stimulation has potential implications for developing targeted stimulation-based treatments for affective disorders that arise from early life adversities.

Neural mechanisms of intertemporal and risky decision-making in individuals with internet use disorder: A perspective from directed functional connectivity.

The intertemporal and risk decision-making impairments are vital cognitive mechanisms in internet use disorder (IUD). However, the underlying neural mechanisms for these two decision-making dysfunctions in individuals with IUD remain unclear. This study employed Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to record changes in blood oxygen concentration in the prefrontal cortex of individuals with IUD during intertemporal and risk decision-making tasks. The findings revealed that the intertemporal decision-making deficits in IUD group were primarily associated with reduced activation in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and FC from the left dlPFC to the right dlPFC. On the other hand, risk decision-making impairments were linked to decreased OFC activation and weakened functional connectivity from the left dlPFC to the right dlPFC and OFC. These results suggested that while there were common neural mechanisms underlying intertemporal and risk decision-making impairments in individuals with IUD, specific neural foundations existed for each type of dysfunction.

Value Representations of Spite Sensitivity in Psychosis on the Minnesota Trust Game

BackgroundSpite sensitivity provides a valuable construct to understand persecutory ideation and its underlying neural mechanisms. We examined the relationship between persecution and spite sensitivity in psychosis to identify their neural substrates. MethodsIn a 3T magnetic resonance imaging scanner, 49 participants with psychosis played the Minnesota Trust Game, in which they decided whether to take a small amount of money or trust a partner to choose between fair and unfair distributions of money. In some conditions, the partner benefited from the unfair option, while in others, the partner lost money. Participants who were untrusting in the second condition (suspiciousness) showed heightened sensitivity to spite. Behavioral measures included mistrust during the 2 conditions of the game, which were compared with Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale persecution and computational modeling. Functional connectivity and blood oxygen level–dependent analyses were also conducted on a priori regions during spite-sensitive decisions. ResultsBehavioral results replicated previous findings; participants who experienced more persecutory ideation trusted less, specifically in the suspiciousness condition. Functional connectivity findings showed that decreased connectivity between the orbitofrontal cortex–insula and the left frontoparietal network was associated with increased persecutory ideation and estimated spite-guilt (a marker of spite sensitivity). Additionally, we found differences between conditions in caudate nucleus, medial prefrontal cortex, and lateral orbitofrontal cortex activation. ConclusionsThese findings provide a new perspective on the origin of positive symptoms by identifying primary brain circuits that are related to both spite sensitivity and persecutory ideation.

Meta-reinforcement learning via orbitofrontal cortex

The meta-reinforcement learning (meta-RL) framework, which involves RL over multiple timescales, has been successful in training deep RL models that generalize to new environments. It has been hypothesized that the prefrontal cortex may mediate meta-RL in the brain, but the evidence is scarce. Here we show that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) mediates meta-RL. We trained mice and deep RL models on a probabilistic reversal learning task across sessions during which they improved their trial-by-trial RL policy through meta-learning. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-dependent synaptic plasticity in OFC was necessary for this meta-learning but not for the within-session trial-by-trial RL in experts. After meta-learning, OFC activity robustly encoded value signals, and OFC inactivation impaired the RL behaviors. Longitudinal tracking of OFC activity revealed that meta-learning gradually shapes population value coding to guide the ongoing behavioral policy. Our results indicate that two distinct RL algorithms with distinct neural mechanisms and timescales coexist in OFC to support adaptive decision-making.

Neurocomputational mechanisms of biased impression formation in lonely individuals

Social impressions are fundamental in our daily interactions with other people but forming accurate impressions of our social partners can be biased to different extents. Loneliness has previously been suggested to induce biases that hinder the formation of accurate impressions of others for successful social bonding. Here, we demonstrated that despite counterfactual evidence, negative first impressions bias information weighting, leading to less favorable trustworthiness beliefs. Lonely individuals did not only have more negative expectations of others’ social behavior, but they also manifested a stronger weighting bias. Reduced orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) activity was associated with a stronger weighting bias in lonelier individuals and mediated the relationship between loneliness and this weighting bias. Importantly, stronger coupling between OFC and temporoparietal junction compensated for such effects, promoting more positive trustworthiness beliefs especially in lonelier individuals. These findings bear potential for future basic and clinical investigations on social cognition and the development of clinical symptoms linked to loneliness.

Cognitive reappraisal and corresponding neural basis mediate the association between childhood maltreatment and depression

BackgroundChildhood maltreatment is considered as a robust predictor of depression. However, the underlying psychological and neurological mechanisms linking childhood maltreatment and depression remain poorly understood. Sufficient evidence demonstrates emotion dysregulation in individuals who have experienced childhood maltreatment, but it is unknown whether these changes represent vulnerability for depression. Here we speculated that decreased cognitive reappraisal and its corresponding neural basis might explain the relationship between childhood maltreatment and follow-up depression. MethodsFirst, we investigated whether cognitive reappraisal can explain the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depression, with a cross-sectional (n = 657) behavioral sample. Then we recruit 38 maltreated participants and 27 controls to complete the cognitive reappraisal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task. The between-group difference in brain activation and functional connectivity (FC) were tested using independent t-tests. Finally, we investigated the relationship between childhood maltreatment, task-based brain activity and depression. ResultsThe behavior results suggested that cognitive reappraisal mediates the association between childhood maltreatment and depression. In addition, the maltreated group exhibited lower activation of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and higher FC of between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), OFC, and amygdala during cognitive reappraisal, compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, the FC of DLPFC-amygdala mediates the association between childhood maltreatment and depression. ConclusionIn summary, childhood maltreatment is associated with inefficient cognitive reappraisal ability, manifesting as aberrant modulation of cortical areas on amygdala. These cognitive and neural deficits might explain the relationship between childhood maltreatment and risk of depression in later life.

The spatiotemporal dynamics of semantic integration in the human brain

Language depends critically on the integration of lexical information across multiple words to derive semantic concepts. Limitations of spatiotemporal resolution have previously rendered it difficult to isolate processes involved in semantic integration. We utilized intracranial recordings in epilepsy patients (n = 58) who read written word definitions. Descriptions were either referential or non-referential to a common object. Semantically referential sentences enabled high frequency broadband gamma activation (70–150 Hz) of the inferior frontal sulcus (IFS), medial parietal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and medial temporal lobe in the left, language-dominant hemisphere. IFS, OFC and posterior middle temporal gyrus activity was modulated by the semantic coherence of non-referential sentences, exposing semantic effects that were independent of task-based referential status. Components of this network, alongside posterior superior temporal sulcus, were engaged for referential sentences that did not clearly reduce the lexical search space by the final word. These results indicate the existence of complementary cortical mosaics for semantic integration in posterior temporal and inferior frontal cortex.

The road not taken: Common and distinct neural correlates of regret and relief

Humans anticipate and evaluate both obtained and counterfactual outcomes – outcomes that could have been had an alternate decision been taken – and experience associated emotions of regret and relief. Although many functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have examined the neural correlates of these emotions, there is substantial heterogeneity in their results. We conducted coordinate-based ALE and network-based ANM meta-analysis of fMRI studies of experienced regret and relief to examine commonalities and differences in their neural correlates. Regionally, we observed that the experience of both regret and relief was associated with greater activation in the right ventral striatum (VS), which is implicated in tracking reward prediction error. At the network level, regret and relief shared the reward-sensitive mesocorticolimbic network with preferential activation of the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) for regret processing and medial cingulate cortex (MCC) for relief processing. Our research identified shared and separable brain systems subserving regret and relief experience, which may inform the treatment of regret-related mood disorders.

A Neural Mechanism in the Human Orbitofrontal Cortex for Preferring High-Fat Foods Based on Oral Texture.

Although overconsumption of high-fat foods is a major driver of weight gain, the neural mechanisms that link the oral sensory properties of dietary fat to reward valuation and eating behavior remain unclear. Here we combine novel food-engineering approaches with functional neuroimaging to show that the human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) translates oral sensations evoked by high-fat foods into subjective economic valuations that guide eating behavior. Male and female volunteers sampled and evaluated nutrient-controlled liquid foods that varied in fat and sugar ("milkshakes"). During oral food processing, OFC activity encoded a specific oral-sensory parameter that mediated the influence of the foods' fat content on reward value: the coefficient of sliding friction. Specifically, OFC responses to foods in the mouth reflected the smooth, oily texture (i.e., mouthfeel) produced by fatty liquids on oral surfaces. Distinct activity patterns in OFC encoded the economic values associated with particular foods, which reflected the subjective integration of sliding friction with other food properties (sugar, fat, viscosity). Critically, neural sensitivity of OFC to oral texture predicted individuals' fat preferences in a naturalistic eating test: individuals whose OFC was more sensitive to fat-related oral texture consumed more fat during ad libitum eating. Our findings suggest that reward systems of the human brain sense dietary fat from oral sliding friction, a mechanical food parameter that likely governs our daily eating experiences by mediating interactions between foods and oral surfaces. These findings identify a specific role for the human OFC in evaluating oral food textures to mediate preference for high-fat foods.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Fat and sugar enhance the reward value of food by imparting a sweet taste and rich mouthfeel but also contribute to overeating and obesity. Here we used a novel food-engineering approach to realistically quantify the physical-mechanical properties of high-fat liquid foods on oral surfaces and used functional neuroimaging while volunteers sampled these foods and placed monetary bids to consume them. We found that a specific area of the brain's reward system, the orbitofrontal cortex, detects the smooth texture of fatty foods in the mouth and links these sensory inputs to economic valuations that guide eating behavior. These findings can inform the design of low-calorie fat-replacement foods that mimic the impact of dietary fat on oral surfaces and neural reward systems.

Prosocial decision-making under time pressure: Behavioral and neural mechanisms.

The present study employed a novel paradigm and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to uncover the specific regulatory mechanism of time pressure and empathy trait in prosocial decision-making, compared to self-decision making. Participants were instructed to decide whether to spend their own monetary interest to alleviate themselves (or another person) from unpleasant noise threats under high and low time pressures. On the behavioral level, results showed that high time pressure had a significant effect on reducing participants' willingness to spend money on relieving themselves from the noise, while there is a similar but not significant trend in prosocial decision-making. On the neural level, for self-concerned decision-making, low time pressure activated the bilateral insula more strongly than high time pressure. For prosocial decision-making, high time pressure suppressed activations in multiple brain regions related to empathy (temporal pole, middle temporal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus), valuation (medial orbitofrontal cortex), and emotion (putamen). The functional connectivity strength among these regions, especially the connectivity between the medial orbitofrontal cortex and putamen, significantly predicted the effect of time pressure on prosocial decision-making at the behavioral level. Additionally, we discovered the activation of the medial orbitofrontal cortex partially mediated the effect of empathy trait scores on prosocial decision-making. These findings suggest that (1) there are different neural underpinnings for the modulation of time pressure for self and prosocial decision-making, and (2) the empathy trait plays a crucial role in the latter.

Threat exposure moderates associations between neural and physiological indices of emotion reactivity in adolescent females

Early life adversity (ELA) characterized by threat (e.g., abuse, witnessing violence) impacts neural and physiologic systems involved in emotion reactivity; however, research on how threat exposure impacts the interplay between these systems is limited. This study investigates ELA characterized by threat as a potential moderator of the association between (a) neural activity during a negative image processing fMRI task and (b) cortisol production following a modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). The sample is comprised of 117 young adolescent females (Mage = 11.90 years, SD = 1.69) at elevated risk for internalizing problems. Whole-brain analyses revealed a positive association between cortisol production and increased right lateral orbitofrontal cortex activity during the emotion reactivity task. In moderation models, threat exposure interacted with bilateral amygdala activation (b = −3.34, p = 0.021) and bilateral hippocampal activation (b = −4.14, p = 0.047) to predict cortisol response to the TSST. Specifically, participants with low, but not high, levels of threat exposure demonstrated a positive association between cortisol production and neural activity in these regions, while no significant association emerged for participants with high threat exposure. Findings contribute to the growing field of research connecting physiological and neural emotion processing and response systems, suggesting that dimensions of ELA may uniquely disrupt associations between neural activation and cortisol production.

DREADD activation of the lateral orbitofrontal increases cocaine-taking and cocaine-seeking in male and female rats during intermittent access self-administration under risky conditions

Addiction is a disorder that can be characterized in part as the constant pursuit of a particular substance despite negative consequences. Although the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is known to regulate risk-taking more generally and be critical to the development of addiction, its role in regulating drug use under risk-taking conditions is unknown. To address this, we examined drug-taking and drug-seeking in male and female rats under conditions where cocaine infusions were paired with foot shock punishment 50% of the time and combined this paradigm with cFos immunohistochemistry. We found that rats that showed higher levels of drug-taking and drug-seeking prior to punishment showed decreased responding during self-administration sessions under risky conditions and lower levels of c-Fos expression in the lateral but not medial OFC. However, despite these initial differences in responses to infusions paired with foot shocks, all rats showed decreased responding with additional punishment sessions. We then used chemogenetic viral approaches to examine how altering activity of the lateral OFC affects drug-taking and drug-seeking during punished drug use. Although there was no effect of Gi/o DREADD-mediated inhibition of the lateral OFC on these behaviors, Gq DREADD-mediated activation increased drug-taking and drug-seeking when drug use was associated with foot shock 50% of the time. Interestingly, this manipulation had no effect on non-risky self-administration behavior. These results suggest that the involvement of lateral OFC in cocaine use is context-sensitive and influences decision-making based on negative outcomes.

Fronto-parietal networks shape human conscious report through attention gain and reorienting

How do attention and consciousness interact in the human brain? Rival theories of consciousness disagree on the role of fronto-parietal attentional networks in conscious perception. We recorded neural activity from 727 intracerebral contacts in 13 epileptic patients, while they detected near-threshold targets preceded by attentional cues. Clustering revealed three neural patterns: first, attention-enhanced conscious report accompanied sustained right-hemisphere fronto-temporal activity in networks connected by the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) II-III, and late accumulation of activity (>300 ms post-target) in bilateral dorso-prefrontal and right-hemisphere orbitofrontal cortex (SLF I-III). Second, attentional reorienting affected conscious report through early, sustained activity in a right-hemisphere network (SLF III). Third, conscious report accompanied left-hemisphere dorsolateral-prefrontal activity. Task modeling with recurrent neural networks revealed multiple clusters matching the identified brain clusters, elucidating the causal relationship between clusters in conscious perception of near-threshold targets. Thus, distinct, hemisphere-asymmetric fronto-parietal networks support attentional gain and reorienting in shaping human conscious experience.

Brain response in heavy drinkers during cross-commodity alcohol and money discounting with potentially real rewards: A preliminary study

BackgroundAlcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with exaggerated preference for immediate rewards, a candidate endophenotype for use disorders. Addiction symptomology is often well-described by the preference for immediate intoxication over other delayed prosocial rewards. We measured brain activation in AUD-implicated regions during a cross-commodity delay discounting (CCD) task with choices for immediate alcohol and delayed money. MethodsHeavy drinkers (n=24) experienced a brief intravenous alcohol infusion prime, regained sobriety, then chose between ‘One Shot’ and delayed money in an adjusting delay CCD task (sober and intoxicated); also during fMRI (sober). Participants also performed a behavioral sensation seeking task and completed self-report inventories of other risk factors. We assessed brain activation to choices representing immediate intoxication versus delayed money rewards in a priori regions of interest defined within the framework of Addictions NeuroImaging Assessment. ResultsActivation to CCD choice versus control trials activated paralimbic and ventral frontal cortical regions, including orbital and medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate/retrosplenial cortex, angular and superior frontal gyri. We detected no differences between immediate or delayed choices. Left medial orbitofrontal cortex activation correlated with alcohol-induced wanting for alcohol; females showed greater activation than males. Behavioral sensation seeking correlated with right nucleus accumbens task engagement. ConclusionsAlcohol decision-making elicited activation in regions governing reward, introspection, and executive decision-making in heavy drinkers, demonstrating the utility of laboratory tasks designed to better model real-world choice. Our findings suggest that the brain processes subserving immediate and delayed choices are mostly overlapping, even with varied commodities.

Role of hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex in the association of interdependent self-construal with an acute stress response

Empirical evidence indicates that high interdependent self-construal (InterSC) is correlated with exaggerated acute stress responses; however, the underlying neural correlates remain unclear. Considering the regulatory effect of the prefrontal cortex and limbic system on the acute stress response, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and hippocampus (HIP) in the relationship between InterSC and acute stress responses. Forty-eight healthy college students underwent a modified version of the Montreal imaging stress task (MIST), while brain activity was recorded using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants' saliva samples and subjective stress feelings were collected before, during, and after the MIST. Additionally, participants’ self-construal was measured using questionnaires. Results revealed that InterSC was positively correlated with the activation of OFC, which, in turn, was associated with higher subjective stress feelings. A higher InterSC was also significantly associated with an enhanced salivary cortisol response in those with lower HIP activity. Furthermore, the HIP moderated the indirect effect of InterSC on subjective stress feelings by moderating the effect of InterSC on neural activity in the OFC. This indicated the mediation of the OFC was stronger in those with higher neural activity in the HIP than in those with lower activity in the HIP. In summary, the current study proposed an important role of the OFC-HIP regions in the relationship between InterSC and acute stress responses, making contribution to broadening the field of personality and stress and deepening our understanding of individual differences in acute stress responses.