School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK; Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK.
Cell Rep. 2023 Dec 26;42(12):113589. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113589. Epub 2023 Dec 14.
Learning to seek rewards and avoid punishments, based on positive and negative choice outcomes, is essential for human survival. Yet, the neural underpinnings of outcome valence in the human brainstem and the extent to which they differ in reward and punishment learning contexts remain largely elusive. Here, using simultaneously acquired electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging data, we show that during reward learning the substantia nigra (SN)/ventral tegmental area (VTA) and locus coeruleus are initially activated following negative outcomes, while the VTA subsequently re-engages exhibiting greater responses for positive than negative outcomes, consistent with an early arousal/avoidance response and a later value-updating process, respectively. During punishment learning, we show that distinct raphe nucleus and SN subregions are activated only by negative outcomes with a sustained post-outcome activity across time, supporting the involvement of these brainstem subregions in avoidance behavior. Finally, we demonstrate that the coupling of these brainstem structures with other subcortical and cortical areas helps to shape participants' serial choice behavior in each context.
学习基于积极和消极选择结果来寻求奖励和避免惩罚，对于人类的生存至关重要。然而，人类脑干中与结果效价相关的神经基础，以及它们在奖励和惩罚学习情境中的差异程度，在很大程度上仍难以捉摸。在这里，我们使用同时获得的脑电图和功能磁共振成像数据表明，在奖励学习过程中，中脑黑质（SN）/腹侧被盖区（VTA）和蓝斑核最初会在负面结果后被激活，而 VTA 随后重新参与活动，表现出对积极结果的反应大于对消极结果的反应，这与早期的唤醒/回避反应和后来的价值更新过程分别一致。在惩罚学习过程中，我们表明，只有负性结果才会激活不同的中缝核和 SN 亚区，并且在时间上持续存在后效活动，这支持了这些脑干亚区在回避行为中的参与。最后，我们证明，这些脑干结构与其他皮质下和皮质区域的耦合有助于在每个情境中塑造参与者的连续选择行为。
