Neural Responses to Monetary Gain and Loss in Individuals Recovering From Opioid Use Disorder Compared with Controls

Background: The brain’s valuation network, including the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), represents the value of rewards and punishments and underpins decision behavior. These neural signals are not fully characterized in individuals recovering from pr...

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Main Authors: Jamil P. Bhanji, Bilal Husain, Jaleesa Stringfellow, Mauricio R. Delgado, Suchismita Ray
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IMR Press 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Integrative Neuroscience
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.imrpress.com/journal/JIN/24/7/10.31083/JIN36969
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author Jamil P. Bhanji
Bilal Husain
Jaleesa Stringfellow
Mauricio R. Delgado
Suchismita Ray
author_facet Jamil P. Bhanji
Bilal Husain
Jaleesa Stringfellow
Mauricio R. Delgado
Suchismita Ray
author_sort Jamil P. Bhanji
collection DOAJ
description Background: The brain’s valuation network, including the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), represents the value of rewards and punishments and underpins decision behavior. These neural signals are not fully characterized in individuals recovering from prescription opioid use disorder (POUD). Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that neural responses to monetary gain and loss differ in individuals recovering from POUD relative to individuals without prior substance use. Methods: Twenty-three individuals in an early stage of recovery from POUD (abstinent 2–3 weeks after admission to an inpatient treatment facility, no other substance use disorder), and 21 neurotypical controls group individuals without prior history of substance use completed a card guessing task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), gaining or losing small monetary amounts after each guess. Whole-brain and valuation network regions of interest (ROI) analyses compared POUD and control group fMRI signal responses to monetary gain and loss outcomes. Results: Ventral striatum signal change following gain and loss outcomes differed between the POUD and control groups. Specifically, time series analysis suggested that left ventral striatum responses following monetary losses remained elevated for a longer duration in POUD compared with control group participants. Conclusions: This exploratory, small sample study suggests brain responses to non-drug incentives may differ in POUD compared with neurotypical controls, which has implications for understanding affective responses in individuals recovering from POUD.
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publishDate 2025-07-01
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spelling doaj-art-f4b09d822b7d42e29be02c0bfbd2e68a2025-08-20T02:56:39ZengIMR PressJournal of Integrative Neuroscience0219-63522025-07-012473696910.31083/JIN36969S0219-6352(25)00951-9Neural Responses to Monetary Gain and Loss in Individuals Recovering From Opioid Use Disorder Compared with ControlsJamil P. Bhanji0Bilal Husain1Jaleesa Stringfellow2Mauricio R. Delgado3Suchismita Ray4Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USADepartment of Health Informatics, Rutgers School of Health Professions, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USACenter for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USADepartment of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USADepartment of Health Informatics, Rutgers School of Health Professions, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USABackground: The brain’s valuation network, including the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), represents the value of rewards and punishments and underpins decision behavior. These neural signals are not fully characterized in individuals recovering from prescription opioid use disorder (POUD). Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that neural responses to monetary gain and loss differ in individuals recovering from POUD relative to individuals without prior substance use. Methods: Twenty-three individuals in an early stage of recovery from POUD (abstinent 2–3 weeks after admission to an inpatient treatment facility, no other substance use disorder), and 21 neurotypical controls group individuals without prior history of substance use completed a card guessing task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), gaining or losing small monetary amounts after each guess. Whole-brain and valuation network regions of interest (ROI) analyses compared POUD and control group fMRI signal responses to monetary gain and loss outcomes. Results: Ventral striatum signal change following gain and loss outcomes differed between the POUD and control groups. Specifically, time series analysis suggested that left ventral striatum responses following monetary losses remained elevated for a longer duration in POUD compared with control group participants. Conclusions: This exploratory, small sample study suggests brain responses to non-drug incentives may differ in POUD compared with neurotypical controls, which has implications for understanding affective responses in individuals recovering from POUD.https://www.imrpress.com/journal/JIN/24/7/10.31083/JIN36969addictionsubstance use disorderrewardpunishmentvaluationincentivestriatum
spellingShingle Jamil P. Bhanji
Bilal Husain
Jaleesa Stringfellow
Mauricio R. Delgado
Suchismita Ray
Neural Responses to Monetary Gain and Loss in Individuals Recovering From Opioid Use Disorder Compared with Controls
Journal of Integrative Neuroscience
addiction
substance use disorder
reward
punishment
valuation
incentive
striatum
title Neural Responses to Monetary Gain and Loss in Individuals Recovering From Opioid Use Disorder Compared with Controls
title_full Neural Responses to Monetary Gain and Loss in Individuals Recovering From Opioid Use Disorder Compared with Controls
title_fullStr Neural Responses to Monetary Gain and Loss in Individuals Recovering From Opioid Use Disorder Compared with Controls
title_full_unstemmed Neural Responses to Monetary Gain and Loss in Individuals Recovering From Opioid Use Disorder Compared with Controls
title_short Neural Responses to Monetary Gain and Loss in Individuals Recovering From Opioid Use Disorder Compared with Controls
title_sort neural responses to monetary gain and loss in individuals recovering from opioid use disorder compared with controls
topic addiction
substance use disorder
reward
punishment
valuation
incentive
striatum
url https://www.imrpress.com/journal/JIN/24/7/10.31083/JIN36969
work_keys_str_mv AT jamilpbhanji neuralresponsestomonetarygainandlossinindividualsrecoveringfromopioidusedisordercomparedwithcontrols
AT bilalhusain neuralresponsestomonetarygainandlossinindividualsrecoveringfromopioidusedisordercomparedwithcontrols
AT jaleesastringfellow neuralresponsestomonetarygainandlossinindividualsrecoveringfromopioidusedisordercomparedwithcontrols
AT mauriciordelgado neuralresponsestomonetarygainandlossinindividualsrecoveringfromopioidusedisordercomparedwithcontrols
AT suchismitaray neuralresponsestomonetarygainandlossinindividualsrecoveringfromopioidusedisordercomparedwithcontrols