Abstract
In the present report, we examine electrodermal activity (skin conductance responses, SCRs) in monkeys trained to perform target-selection (TS) tests. In each test, the animal was presented in successive trials with the same two unequally rewarded targets on a touch screen. The probabilistic contingencies of the rewards associated with each target rendered the selection of the best difficult. Our findings revealed SCRs time-locked to the arm movements toward the rewarded targets, occurring after the target touches. Parameters of the SCRs were stable when the uncertainty of the choices and of the outcomes varied. The results support the hypothesis that the physiological processes indexed by the SCRs are the correlate of anticipatory appetitive behavior. In contrast, there is no evidence that the SCRs reflect cognitive processes associated with the detection of the best target.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amiez C, Joseph JP (2000) Decision making in the monkey: behavioral and neural data. Abstr Soc Neurosci 749.7
Ba-M'Hamed B, Ciancia F, Delerm B, Roy JC, Sequeira-Martinho AH (1986) Influence of skin temperature on latency and amplitude of skin potential responses in the cat. Biol Psychol 22:59–67
Bechara A (2001) Neurobiology of decision-making: risk and reward. Semin Clin Neuropsychiatry 6:205–216
Bechara A, Damasio AR, Damasio H, Anderson SW (1994) Insensitivity to future consequences following damage to human prefrontal cortex. Cognition 50:7–15
Bechara A, Tranel D, Damasio H, Damasio AR (1996) Failure to respond autonomically to anticipated future outcomes following damage to prefrontal cortex. Cereb Cortex 6:215–225
Bechara A, Damasio H, Tranel D, Damasio AR (1997) Deciding advantageously before knowing the advantageous strategy. Science 275:1293–1295
Bechara A, Damasio H, Damasio AR, Lee GP (1999) Different contributions of the human amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex to decision-making. J Neurosci 19:5473–5481
Boucsein W (1992) Electrodermal activity. Plenum, New York
Critchley HD, Mathias CJ, Dolan RJ (2001) Neural activity in the human brain relating to uncertainty and arousal during anticipation. Neuron 29:537–545
Culp WC, Edelberg R (1966) Regional response specificity in the electrodermal reflex. Percept Mot Skills 23:623–627
Damasio AR (1994) Descartes' error. Emotion, reason, and the human brain. Putnam Books, New York
Darrow CW (1937) Neural mechanisms controlling the palmar galvanic skin reflex and palmar sweating. Arch Neurol Psychiatry 37:641–663
Edelberg R (1970) The information content of the recovery limb of the electrodermal response. Psychophysiology 6:527–539
Edelberg R (1972) Electrodermal recovery rate, goal-orientation, and aversion. Psychophysiology 9:512–520
Fowles DC, Rosenberry R (1973) Effects of epidermal hydration of skin potential responses and levels. Psychophysiology 10:601–611
Fowles DC, Christie MJ, Edelberg R, Grings WW, Lykken DT, Venables PH (1981) Publication recommendations for electrodermal measurements. Psychophysiology 18:232–239
Fredrikson M, Furmark T, Olsson MT, Fisher H, Andersson J, Langström B (1998) Functional neuroanatomical correlates of electrodermal activity, a positron emission tomographic study. Psychophysiology 35:179–185
Harding G, Punzo F (1971) Response uncertainty and skin conductance. J Exp Psychol 88:265–272
Hollerman JR, Schultz W (1998) Dopamine neurons report an error in the temporal prediction of reward during learning, Nat Neurosci 1:304–309
Katkin ES (1975) Electrodermal lability: a psychophysiological analysis of individual differences in response to stress. In: Spielberger CD, IG Sarason (eds) Stress and anxiety, Vol 2. Wiley and Sons, Washington, pp 141–176
Koelega HS (1990) Vigilance performance, a review of electrodermal predictors. Percept Mot Skills 70:1011–1029
Levy JK, Igarashi M, Ledet JC (1997) Electrodermal response in the squirrel monkey. Percept Mot Skills 45:943–948
Maulsby RL, Edelberg R (1960) The interrelationship between the galvanic skin response, basal resistance and temperature. J Comp Physiol Psychol 53:475–479
Naveteur J, Godefroy O, Sequeira H (1998) Electrodermal level asymmetry in a unilateral brain-damaged patient. Int J Psychophysiol 29:237–245
Panksepp J (1982) Toward a general psychobiological theory of emotions. Behav Brain Sci 5:407–467
Platt ML, Glimcher PW (1999) Neural correlate of decision variables in parietal cortex. Science 100:233–238
Pribram KH, McGuinness D (1975) Arousal, activation, and effort in the control of attention. Psychol Rev 82:116–149
Routtenberg A (1968) The two-arousal hypothesis: reticular formation and limbic system. Psychol Rev 75: 51–80
Sequeira H, Ba-M'Hamed S, Roy JC (1995) Fronto-parietal control of the electrodermal activity. J Autonom Nerv Syst 53:103–114
Shahani B, Halperin JJ, Boulu P, Cohen J (1984) Sympathetic skin response-a method of assessing unmyelinated axon dysfunction in peripheral neuropathies. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 47:525–536
Siddle DAT, O'Gorman JG, Wood L (1979) Effects of electrodermal lability and stimulus significance on electrodermal response amplitude to stimulus change. Psychophysiology 16:520–527
Stern RM, Anschel C (1968) Deep inspirations as stimuli for responses of the autonomic nervous system. Psychophysiology 5:132–134
Tremblay L, Hollerman JR, Schultz W (1998) Modifications of reward expectation-related neuronal activity during learning in primate striatum. J Neurophysiol 80:964–977
Acknowledgements
We thank M.L. Loyalle for technical assistance, and K. Knoblauch and G. Cousens for helpful comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by Ministère Delégué de la Recherche, ACI 2002.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Amiez, C., Procyk, E., Honoré, J. et al. Reward anticipation, cognition, and electrodermal activity in the conditioned monkey. Exp Brain Res 149, 267–275 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-002-1353-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-002-1353-9