Table 1 | Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of risk-taking for gains and losses. Authors and year Focal topic Time of measurement Conditions Active regions identiﬁed TIME OF MEASUREMENT BEFORE DECISION-MAKING Anticipation of Before Gains (reward Knutson monetary decision-making anticipation versus et al. (2001) reward (anticipation of neutral) choice phase) Risky decision- making Before decision-making (prior to selection phase) Risky decision- making in a ﬁnancial context Before decision-making (anticipation of choice phase) Decision- making under uncertainty Decision- making in purchasing context Before decision-making (anticipation of choice phase) Before decision-making (anticipation of choice phase) Losses (punishment anticipation versus neutral) Gains (risky response minus safe responses) Losses (safe minus risky responses) Gains (risky choices and risk-seeking mistakes) Losses (riskless choices and risk- aversion mistakes) Gains versus losses Gains (computation of expected value for gains) Losses (computation of expected value for losses) Gains (purchasing a preferred product) Losses (spending money) Levin et al. Matthews et al. (2004) Kuhnen and Knutson (2005) Yacubian et al. (2006) Knutson et al. (2007) www.frontiersin.org February 2012 | Volume 6 | Article 15 | 5 Nucleus accumbens Caudate Putamen Anterior thalamus Amygdala Anterior cingulate cortex Medial prefrontal cortex Supplementary motor area Posterior cingulate cortex Cerebellar vermis Caudate Anterior thalamus Medial frontal gyrus Nucleus accumbens Caudate tail Middle occipital gyrus Superior temporal gyrus Middle temporal gyrus Inferior frontal gyrus Nucleus accumbens Insula Medial prefrontal cortex Orbitofrontal cortex Nucleus accumbens Anterior cingulate cortex Precuneus Posterior cingulate Ventral striatum Amygdala Anterior cingulate cortex Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Medial frontal gyrus Superior frontal gyrus Anterior insula Nucleus accumbens Caudate Globus pallidus Posterior cingulate Frontopolar cortex Medial prefrontal cortex Anterior cingulate cortex Parahippocampal gyrus Neuropsychology of risky gains/losses Sample size 8 Result Study supports separate structures because addi- tional other regions were activated for gains com- pared to losses 12 19 66 26 Study supports separate structures because differ- ent regions were activated for gains versus losses Study supports separate structures because differ- ent regions were activated for gains versus losses Study supports separate structures because differ- ent regions were activated for gains versus losses Study supports separate structures because differ- ent regions were activated for gains versus losses (Continued)