FMRI visualization of brain activity during a monetary incentive delay task

Comparative studies have implicated striatal and mesial forebrain circuitry in the generation of autonomic, endocrine, and behavioral responses for in centives. Using blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging, we sought to visualize functional activation of these regions in 1 2 normal volunteers as they anticipated and responded for monetary incentiv es. Both individual and group analyses of time-series data revealed signifi cant activation of striatal and mesial forebrain structures (including insu la, caudate, putamen, and mesial prefrontal cortex) during trials involving both monetary rewards and punishments. In addition to these areas, during trials involving punishment, group analysis revealed activation foci in the anterior cingulate and thalamus. These results corroborate comparative stu dies which implicate striatal and mesial forebrain circuitry in the elabora tion of incentive-driven behavior. This report also introduces a new paradi gm for probing the functional integrity of this circuitry in humans.