Differential Activation Patterns in the Same Brain Region Led to Opposite Emotional States

In human studies, how averaged activation in a brain region relates to human behavior has been extensively investigated. This approach has led to the finding that positive and negative facial preferences are represented by different brain regions. However, using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) decoded neurofeedback (DecNef) method, we found that different patterns of neural activations within the cingulate cortex (CC) play roles in representing opposite directions of facial preference. In the present study, while neutrally preferred faces were presented, multi-voxel activation patterns in the CC that corresponded to higher (or lower) preference were repeatedly induced by fMRI DecNef. As a result, previously neutrally preferred faces became more (or less) preferred. We conclude that a different activation pattern in the CC, rather than averaged activation in a different area, represents and suffices to determine positive or negative facial preference. This new approach may reveal the importance of an activation pattern within a brain region in many cognitive functions.A newly developed fMRI method, decoded neurofeedback (DecNef), reveals that specific activation patterns in the cingulate cortex are largely responsible for determining human facial preferences.Author Summary: Although it is well studied how averaged activation of a brain region relates to behavior, it is still unclear if specific patterns of activation within regions also relate to cognitive function. In recent years, several methods have been developed for manipulating brain activity in humans. Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging decoded neurofeedback (fMRI DecNef) is a method that allows the induction of specific patterns of brain activity by measuring the current pattern, comparing this to the pattern to be induced, and giving the subjects feedback on how close the two patterns of neuronal activity are. Using fMRI DecNef, we manipulated the pattern of activation in the cingulate cortex—a part of the cerebral cortex that plays a role in preference to different categories including faces and daily items—and tested whether we could change these preferences. In the experiment, a specific activation pattern in the cingulate cortex corresponding to higher (or lower) preference was induced by fMRI DecNef while subjects were seeing a neutrally preferred face. As a result, these neutrally preferred faces became more (or less) preferred. Our finding suggests that different patterns of activation in the cingulate cortex represent, and are sufficient to determine, different emotional states. Our new approach using fMRI DecNef may reveal the importance of activation patterns within a brain region, rather than activation in a whole region, in many cognitive functions.