How distributed subcortical integration of reward and threat may inform approach-avoidance decisions
Healthy and successful living involves carefully navigating rewarding and threatening situations by balancing approach and avoidance behaviours. Excessive avoidance to evade potential threats often leads to forfeiting potential rewards. However, little is known about how reward and threat information is integrated neurally to inform either approach or avoidance decisions. In this preregistered study, participants (N=31, 17F) made approach-avoidance decisions under varying reward (monetary gains) and threat (electrical stimulations) prospects during functional MRI scanning. In contrast to theorized parallel subcortical processing of reward and threat information before cortical integration, Bayesian Multivariate Multilevel analyses revealed subcortical reward and threat integration prior to indicating approach-avoidance decisions. This integration occurred in the ventral striatum, thalamus, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). When reward was low, avoidance decisions dominate