Anticipatory anxiety disrupts neural valuation during risky choice

摘要: Incidental negative emotions unrelated to the current task, such as background anxiety, can strongly influence decisions. This is most evident in psychiatric disorders associated with generalized emotional disturbances. However, neural mechanisms by which incidental may affect choices remain poorly understood. Here we study effects of anxiety on human risky decision making, focusing both behavioral preferences and their underlying processes. Although observable remained stable across affective contexts high low found a clear change valuation signals: during activity ventromedial prefrontal cortex ventral striatum showed marked reduction (1) coding expected subjective value (ESV) options, (2) prediction observed choices, (3) functional coupling other areas system, (4) baseline activity. At same time, anterior insula an increase ESV lotteries, this predicted whether lotteries would be rejected. pattern results suggests that shift focus from possible positive consequences anticipated choice options. Moreover, our findings show these changes occur absence overt behavior. suggest pathway lead development chronic reward desensitization maladaptive cognitions, prevalent disorders.