Human oscillatory activity associated to reward processing in a gambling task

Previous event-related brain potential (ERP) studies have identified a medial frontal negativity (MFN) in response to negative feedback or monetary losses. In contrast, no EEG correlates have been identified related to the processing of monetary gains or positive feedback. This result is puzzling cons...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Marco Pallarés, Josep, Cucurell, David, Cunillera, Toni, García, Rafael, Andrés Pueyo, Antonio, Münte, Thomas F., Rodríguez Fornells, Antoni
Format: article
Status:Versión aceptada para publicación
Publication Date:2008
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/69545
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/69545
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Jocs d'atzar
Potencials evocats (Electrofisiologia)
Mapatge del cervell
Gambling
Evoked potentials (Electrophysiology)
Brain mapping
Description
Summary:Previous event-related brain potential (ERP) studies have identified a medial frontal negativity (MFN) in response to negative feedback or monetary losses. In contrast, no EEG correlates have been identified related to the processing of monetary gains or positive feedback. This result is puzzling considering the large number of brain regions involved in the processing of rewards. In the present study we used a gambling task to investigate this issue with trial-by-trial wavelet-based time-frequency analysis of the electroencephalographic signal recorded non-invasively in healthy humans. Using this analysis a mediofrontal oscillatory component in the beta range was identified which was associated to monetary gains. In addition, standard time-domain ERP analysis showed an MFN for losses that was associated with an increase in theta power in the time-frequency analysis. We propose that the reward-related beta oscillatory activity signifies the functional coupling of distributed brain regions involved in reward processing.