fMRI, and single-unit recording studies that the ORN (or feedback negativity) is generated in the medial frontal cortex, and probably in the anterior cingulate cortex [cf. 44]. While the gender difference in the outcome processing is explained separately in the following section, the topographic difference for loss and gain conditions demand further explanation. Using a simple monetary gambling task, Nieuwenhuis et al. [20] reported ‘reward-sensitive activity’ in a number of brain areas that were previously implicated in reward processing, including the striatum, prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate, and inferior parietal lobule. Since the “reward network” involves posterior areas as well, it is possible that the gain condition is mediated more by the posterior areas than by the anterior/frontal areas of this network. On the other hand, the reverse may be true for the loss condition. The functional mapping through LORETA has helped to further explain this phenomenon as discussed separately in the next section.
