An electrophysiological index of changes in risk decision-making strategies

NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA

卷:51

Article

Zhang, Dandan^1,2  Gu, Ruolei³  Wu, Tingting²  Broster, Lucas S.⁴  Jiang, Yang^2,4  Luo, Yue-jia¹ 

[1] Shenzhen Univ, Inst Affect & Social Neurosci, Shenzhen, Peoples R China

[2] Beijing Normal Univ, State Key Lab Cognit Neurosci & Learning, Beijing 100875, Peoples R China

[3] Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Psychol, Key Lab Behav Sci, Beijing 100101, Peoples R China

[4] Univ Kentucky, Coll Med, Dept Behav Sci, Lexington, KY 40536 USA

关键词: Decision-making;    Outcome evaluation;    Event-related potential (ERP);    Principal components analysis (PCA);    P3 component;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.04.014

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

. Human decision-making is significantly modulated by previously experienced outcomes. Using event-related potentials (ERPs), we examined whether ERP components evoked by outcome feedbacks could serve as biomarkers to signal the influence of current outcome evaluation on subsequent decision-making. In this study, 18 adult volunteers participated in a simple monetary gambling task, in which they were asked to choose between two options that differed in risk. Their decisions were immediately followed by outcome presentation. Temporospatial principle component analysis (PCA) was applied to the outcome-onset locked ERPs in the 200-1000 ms time window. The PCA factors that approximated classical ERP components (P2, feedback-related negativity, P3a, and P3b) in terms of time course and scalp distribution were tested for their association with subsequent decision-making strategies. Our results revealed that a fronto-central PCA factor approximating the classical P3a was related to changes of decision-making strategies on subsequent trials. The decision to switch between high- and low-risk options resulted in a larger P3a relative to the decision to retain the same choice. According to the results, we suggest that the amplitude of the fronto-central P3a is an electrophysiological index of the influence of current outcome on subsequent risk decision-making. Furthermore, the ERP source analysis indicated that the activations of the frontopolar cortex and sensorimotor cortex were involved in subsequent changes of strategies, which enriches our understanding of the neural mechanisms of adjusting decision-making strategies based on previous experience. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

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