A neurofunctional signature of subjective disgust generalizes to oral distaste and socio-moral contexts

Xianyang Gan, Feng Zhou, Ting Xu, Xiaobo Liu, Ran Zhang, Zihao Zheng, Xi Yang, Xinqi Zhou, Fangwen Yu, Jialin Li, Ruifang Cui, Lan Wang, Jiajin Yuan, Dezhong Yao and Benjamin Becker ()
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Xianyang Gan: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Feng Zhou: Southwest University
Ting Xu: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xiaobo Liu: McGill University
Ran Zhang: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Zihao Zheng: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xi Yang: Maastricht University
Xinqi Zhou: Sichuan Normal University
Fangwen Yu: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Jialin Li: Max Planck School of Cognition
Ruifang Cui: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Lan Wang: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Jiajin Yuan: Sichuan Normal University
Dezhong Yao: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Benjamin Becker: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Nature Human Behaviour, 2024, vol. 8, issue 7, 1383-1402

Abstract: Abstract While disgust originates in the hard-wired mammalian distaste response, the conscious experience of disgust in humans strongly depends on subjective appraisal and may even extend to socio-moral contexts. Here, in a series of studies, we combined functional magnetic resonance imaging with machine-learning-based predictive modelling to establish a comprehensive neurobiological model of subjective disgust. The developed neurofunctional signature accurately predicted momentary self-reported subjective disgust across discovery (n = 78) and pre-registered validation (n = 30) cohorts and generalized across core disgust (n = 34 and n = 26), gustatory distaste (n = 30) and socio-moral (unfair offers; n = 43) contexts. Disgust experience was encoded in distributed cortical and subcortical systems, and exhibited distinct and shared neural representations with subjective fear or negative affect in interoceptive-emotional awareness and conscious appraisal systems, while the signatures most accurately predicted the respective target experience. We provide an accurate functional magnetic resonance imaging signature for disgust with a high potential to resolve ongoing evolutionary debates.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01868-x

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