Visualizing risky situations induces a stronger neural response in brain areas associated with mental imagery and emotions than visualizing non-risky situations
Visualizing risky situations induces a stronger neural response in brain areas associated with mental imagery and emotions than visualizing non-risky situations
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Authors
Zaleśkiewicz, Tomasz
Traczyk, Jakub
Sobków, Agata
Fuławka, Kamil
Megías-Robles, Alberto
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Date
2023-09-19
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Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
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17
Pages
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1-13
ISSN
1662-5161
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2023-09-19
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Abstract EN
In an fMRI study, we tested the prediction that visualizing risky situations induces a stronger neural response in brain areas associated with mental imagery and emotions than visualizing non-risky and more positive situations. We assumed that processing mental images that allow for “trying-out” the future has greater adaptive importance for risky than non-risky situations, because the former can generate severe negative outcomes. We identified several brain regions that were activated when participants produced images of risky situations and these regions overlap with brain areas engaged in visual, speech, and movement imagery. We also found that producing images of risky situations, in contrast to non-risky situations, was associated with increased neural activation in the insular cortex and cerebellum–the regions involved, among other functions, in emotional processing. Finally, we observed an increased BOLD signal in the cingulate gyrus associated with reward-based decision making and monitoring of decision outcomes. In summary, risky situations increased neural activation in brain areas involved in mental imagery, emotional processing, and decision making. These findings imply that the evaluation of everyday risky situations may be driven by emotional responses that result from mental imagery.
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Keywords PL
Keywords EN
risk
mental imagery
emotions
neural correlates
neuroimaging
mental imagery
emotions
neural correlates
neuroimaging
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Wyobrażenia umysłowe i emocje a decyzje w warunkach ryzyka i niepewności. Wizualizowanie przyszłości jako narzędzie w podejmowaniu decyzji
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