Regulating Craving by Anticipating Positive and Negative Outcomes: A Multivariate Pattern Analysis and Network Connectivity Approach

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience

Lea Waller²  Johann D. Kruschwitz²  David List²  David Wisniewski³  Henrik Walter⁴  Thomas Goschke⁵  Uta Wolfensteller⁵  Vera U. Ludwig⁶ 

[1] Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany;Collaborative Research Centre 940 “Volition and Cognitive Control”, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany;Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium;Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt—Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany;Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany;Mindfulness Center, Brown School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States;

关键词: anticipated emotions;    self-control;    volition;    future thinking;    fMRI;    self-regulation;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00297

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

During self-control, we may resist short-term temptations in order to reach a favorable future (e.g., resisting cake to stay healthy). The neural basis of self-control is typically attributed to “cold,” unemotional cognitive control mechanisms which inhibit affect-related regions via the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Here, we investigate the neural underpinnings of regulating cravings by mentally evoking the positive consequences of resisting a temptation (e.g., being healthy) as opposed to evoking the negative consequences of giving in to a temptation (e.g., becoming overweight). It is conceivable that when using these types of strategies, regions associated with emotional processing [e.g., striatum, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)] are involved in addition to control-related prefrontal and parietal regions. Thirty-one participants saw pictures of unhealthy snacks in the fMRI scanner and, depending on the trial, regulated their craving by thinking of the positive consequences of resisting, or the negative consequences of not resisting. In a control condition, they anticipated the pleasure of eating and thus, allowed the craving to occur (now-condition). In line with previous studies, we found activation of a cognitive control network during self-regulation. In the negative future thinking condition, the insula was more active than in the positive condition, while there were no activations that were stronger in the positive (> negative) future thinking condition. However, additionally, multivariate pattern analysis showed that during craving regulation, information about the valence of anticipated emotions was present in the vmPFC, the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the insula. Moreover, a network including vmPFC and PCC showed higher connectivity during the positive (> negative) future thinking condition. Since these regions are often associated with affective processing, these findings suggest that “hot,” affective processes may, at least in certain circumstances, play a role in self-control.

【 授权许可】

Unknown