Losartan effects on the network level
On the network level significant interaction effects between condition
and treatment were found for the VS during anticipation but for the VTA
during the outcome phase (all findings passed whole-brainpFWE <0.05, Figure 3 ,Table 2 ). Subsequent post-hoc tests revealed that LT
significantly modulated VS-middle frontal gyrus (MFG) connectivity
during neutral-punishment (t =2.541, p =0.0119),
punishment-reward (t =-3.910, p =0.0001), and between social
reward feedback (t =2.451, p =0.0151) processes, with the
effects being driven by enhanced coupling during social
reward-anticipation. In contrast, LT specifically modulated VTA-networks
during outcome, such that LT modulated VTA-insula (left) connectivity
during the neutral-punishment pattern (t =2.613,p =0.0098), the punishment-reward pattern (t =-4.671,p <0.0001), the neutral-reward pattern (t =-2.059,p =0.0410), and within social punishment (t =-2.012,p =0.0456) and social reward (t =3.128, p =0.002)
respectively. In addition, LT modulated both VTA-insula (right) and
VTA-SFG connectivity for neutral-punishment(t =5.023,p <0.0001; t =-3.127, p =0.0021) and
punishment-reward patterns (t =-3.683, p =0.0003;t =4.368, p <0.0001, Figure 3C ). Losartan
also changed VTA-insula (right) connectivity in social punishment
(t =-2.512, p =0.0128) and neutral (t =3.13,p =0.002), VTA-superior frontal gyrus (SFG) connectivity in social
punishment (t =3.613, p =0.0004). A direct comparion between
treatments revealed consistent effects of LT on processing of social
punishment feedback, such that it decreased VTA communication with the
bilateral insula, yet enhanced VTA communication with the SFG.