Reward processing disruption in anxiety: fMRI evidence of vulnerability to frustration non-reward.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Anxiety is a persistent trait that disrupts functioning and increases the risk of severe consequences, while reward processing has garnered attention in anxiety research. Here, we report a critical concern in reward processing among individuals with anxiety: although anxious individuals may show similar reward processing abilities as non-anxious individuals in typical environments, they are more vulnerable to disruptions in positive emotions caused by frustrative non-reward, leading to maladaptive reward processing patterns.

Methods

The functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used in this study. A total of 66 participants were recruited for the experiment, with 33 in the high anxiety (HA) group and 33 in the low anxiety (LA) group. The simulation of frust

SUBMITTER: Wan J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12527488 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature