Two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain
Avoiding repeated mistakes and learning to reinforce rewarding decisions is critical for human survival and adaptive actions. Yet, the neural underpinnings of the value systems that encode different decision-outcomes remain elusive. Here coupling single-trial electroencephalography with simultaneous...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Publishing Group
2015
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/30320/ |
| _version_ | 1848793963102732288 |
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| author | Fouragnan, Elsa Retzler, Chris Mullinger, Karen J. Philiastides, Marios G. |
| author_facet | Fouragnan, Elsa Retzler, Chris Mullinger, Karen J. Philiastides, Marios G. |
| author_sort | Fouragnan, Elsa |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Avoiding repeated mistakes and learning to reinforce rewarding decisions is critical for human survival and adaptive actions. Yet, the neural underpinnings of the value systems that encode different decision-outcomes remain elusive. Here coupling single-trial electroencephalography with simultaneously acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging, we uncover the spatiotemporal dynamics of two separate but interacting value systems encoding decision-outcomes. Consistent with a role in regulating alertness and switching behaviours, an early system is activated only by negative outcomes and engages arousal-related and motor-preparatory brain structures. Consistent with a role in reward-based learning, a later system differentially suppresses or activates regions of the human reward network in response to negative and positive outcomes, respectively. Following negative outcomes, the early system interacts and downregulates the late system, through a thalamic interaction with the ventral striatum. Critically, the strength of this coupling predicts participants’ switching behaviour and avoidance learning, directly implicating the thalamostriatal pathway in reward-based learning. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:08:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-30320 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:08:38Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-303202020-05-04T17:17:33Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/30320/ Two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain Fouragnan, Elsa Retzler, Chris Mullinger, Karen J. Philiastides, Marios G. Avoiding repeated mistakes and learning to reinforce rewarding decisions is critical for human survival and adaptive actions. Yet, the neural underpinnings of the value systems that encode different decision-outcomes remain elusive. Here coupling single-trial electroencephalography with simultaneously acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging, we uncover the spatiotemporal dynamics of two separate but interacting value systems encoding decision-outcomes. Consistent with a role in regulating alertness and switching behaviours, an early system is activated only by negative outcomes and engages arousal-related and motor-preparatory brain structures. Consistent with a role in reward-based learning, a later system differentially suppresses or activates regions of the human reward network in response to negative and positive outcomes, respectively. Following negative outcomes, the early system interacts and downregulates the late system, through a thalamic interaction with the ventral striatum. Critically, the strength of this coupling predicts participants’ switching behaviour and avoidance learning, directly implicating the thalamostriatal pathway in reward-based learning. Nature Publishing Group 2015-09-08 Article PeerReviewed Fouragnan, Elsa, Retzler, Chris, Mullinger, Karen J. and Philiastides, Marios G. (2015) Two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain. Nature Communications, 6 (8107). ISSN 2041-1723 http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150907/ncomms9107/full/ncomms9107.html doi:10.1038/ncomms9107 doi:10.1038/ncomms9107 |
| spellingShingle | Fouragnan, Elsa Retzler, Chris Mullinger, Karen J. Philiastides, Marios G. Two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain |
| title | Two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain |
| title_full | Two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain |
| title_fullStr | Two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain |
| title_short | Two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain |
| title_sort | two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/30320/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/30320/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/30320/ |