Individual Differences in Insular Sensitivity During Loss Anticipation Predict Avoidance Learning
Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT—The anterior insula has been implicated in both the experience and the anticipation of negative outcomes. Although individual differences in insular sensitivity have been associated with self-report measures of chronic anxiety, previous research has not examined whether individual differences in insular sensitivity predict learning to avoid aversive stimuli. In the present study, insular sensitivity was assessed as participants anticipated monetary losses while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found that insular responsiveness to anticipated losses predicted participants ’ ability to learn to avoid losses (but not to approach gains) in a behavioral test several months later. These findings suggest that in addition to correlating with selfreported anxiety, heightened insular sensitivity may promote learning to avoid loss. Detecting and avoiding threats arguably are the most basic of survival skills. In humans, avoidance learning is necessary not only to ensure survival in the face of basic threats (e.g., predators, threats in social (e.g., enemies) and economic (e.g., risky investments) domains. Although the ability to anticipate and avoid danger is critical to survival, excessive anticipatory anxiety may contribute to psychopathology. Scientists have recently used brain-imaging techniques with enhanced spatial and temporal resolution to characterize neural circuitry implicated in anticipation of threats. One region that has consistently been associated with anticipation of threat is the anterior insula (Seymour, Singer, & Dolan, 2007), a region of Address correspondence to Gregory R. Samanez-Larkin, Department
Institutions: Duke University, Stanford University
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3122308778