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Cited by 2,003Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorDecision-Making and Behavioral Economics

Abstract reward and punishment representations in the human orbitofrontal cortex

O'Doherty, J., Kringelbach, M. L., Rolls, E. T., Hornak, J., Andrews, C.·2001·Nature Neuroscience
DOI 10.1038/82959
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Abstract

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is implicated in emotion and emotion-related learning. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we measured brain activation in human subjects doing an emotion-related visual reversal-learning task in which choice of the correct stimulus led to a probabilistically determined 'monetary' reward and choice of the incorrect stimulus led to a monetary loss. Distinct areas of the OFC were activated by monetary rewards and punishments. Moreover, in these areas, we found a correlation between the magnitude of the brain activation and the magnitude of the rewards and punishments received. These findings indicate that one emotional involvement of the human orbitofrontal cortex is its representation of the magnitudes of abstract rewards and punishments, such as receiving or losing money.

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  • Altered cortical midline activation, particularly in the vmPFC, has been associated with judgements of self-relevance and appreciation of emotional valence ranging from simple sensory to more complex and abstract events.

    “Altered cortical midline activation, particularly in the vmPFC, has been associated with judgements of selfrelevance (Phan et al., 2004), as well as appreciation of emotional valence, ranging from simple sensory to more complex and abstract events (O' Doherty et al., 2001;Anderson et al., 2003;Cunningham et al., 2004).”

    From Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference (2007) · cites this paper as O' Doherty et al., 2001

  • The OFC is associated with increasing positive mood and altering the contextualization of arising sensory events.

    “The OFC, a highly evolved brain region, is associated with increasing positive mood and altering the contextualization of arising sensory events.35,85,88,94”

    From The neural mechanisms of mindfulness-based pain relief: a functional magnetic resonance imaging-based review and primer (2019) · cites this paper as [85]

  • The human lateral OFC is activated when a reward is not obtained in a visual discrimination reversal task, when money is not received in a monetary reward task, and in a one-trial rule-based reward reversal task.

    “the human lateral OFC is activated when a reward is not obtained in a visual discrimination reversal task (Kringelbach and Rolls, 2003) (Fig. 4A), and when money is not received in a monetary reward task (O’Doherty et al., 2001; Xie et al., 2020), and in a one-trial rule-based reward reversal task (Rolls et al., 2020b).”

    From The orbitofrontal cortex: reward, emotion and depression (2020) · cites this paper as O’Doherty et al., 2001

  • The activations of the lateral and medial OFC often appear to be reciprocally related.

    “Given that the activations of the lateral and medial OFC often appear to be reciprocally related (O’Doherty et al., 2001; Rolls et al., 2003a; Xie et al., 2020), the other part of the theory is that in depression there may be underactivity, under-sensitivity or under-connectivity of the (reward-related) medial OFC in depression (Rolls, 2016a, 2018a).”

    From The orbitofrontal cortex: reward, emotion and depression (2020) · cites this paper as O’Doherty et al., 2001

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Authors
O'Doherty, J., Kringelbach, M. L., Rolls, E. T., Hornak, J., & Andrews, C.
Affiliations
  • John Radcliffe Hospital (GB)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
Corresponding author
Rolls, E. T.
ORCID
Venue
Nature Neuroscience
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2001-01
Volume
4
Issue
1
Pages
95-102
ISSN
  • 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
  • 1546-1726
DOI
10.1038/82959
OpenAlex
W1499836032
Cited by
2,003
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 61 · 2023: 50 · 2022: 62 · 2021: 70 · 2020: 57 · 2019: 74 · 2018: 54 · 2017: 62 · 2016: 87 · 2015: 90 · 2014: 95 · 2013: 92 · 2012: 99
Type
conference abstract
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
Keywords
orbitofrontal cortex, reward representation, monetary rewards, financial losses, reversal learning, emotions, emotional learning, reward magnitude, brain activation
MeSH terms
Adult, Brain Mapping, Emotions, Female, Frontal Lobe, Gambling, Gyrus Cinguli, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Punishment, Reversal Learning, Reward

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