Erk Susanne, Spitzer Manfred, Wunderlich Arthur P, Galley Lars, Walter Henrik
Diagnostic Radiology, University Clinic Ulm, Leimgrubenweg 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
Neuroreport. 2002 Dec 20;13(18):2499-503. doi: 10.1097/00001756-200212200-00024.
Using event-related fMRI we investigated the rewarding properties of cultural objects (cars) signaling wealth and social dominance. It has been shown recently that reward mechanisms are involved in the regulation of social relations like dominance and social rank. Based on evolutionary considerations we hypothesized that sports cars in contrast to other categories of cars, e.g. limousines and small cars, are strong social reinforcers and would modulate the dopaminergic reward circuitry. Twelve healthy male subjects were studied with fMRI while viewing photographs of different car classes followed by an attractivity rating. Behaviorally sports cars were rated significantly more attractive than limousines and small cars. Our fMRI results revealed significantly more activation in ventral striatum, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate and occipital regions for sports cars in contrast to other categories of cars. We could thus demonstrate that artificial cultural objects associated with wealth and social dominance elicit activation in reward-related brain areas.
我们使用事件相关功能磁共振成像技术，研究了象征财富和社会主导地位的文化物品（汽车）的奖赏特性。最近的研究表明，奖赏机制参与了诸如主导地位和社会等级等社会关系的调节。基于进化方面的考虑，我们推测，与其他类型的汽车（如豪华轿车和小型汽车）相比，跑车是强大的社会强化物，会调节多巴胺能奖赏回路。我们对12名健康男性受试者进行了功能磁共振成像研究，他们在观看不同类型汽车的照片后进行吸引力评分。在行为上，跑车的吸引力评分显著高于豪华轿车和小型汽车。我们的功能磁共振成像结果显示，与其他类型的汽车相比，跑车在腹侧纹状体、眶额皮质、前扣带回和枕叶区域的激活明显更多。因此，我们可以证明，与财富和社会主导地位相关的人造文化物品会引起奖赏相关脑区的激活。
