Event-related potential activity in the basal ganglia differentiates rewards from nonrewards: Response to commentary

We recently demonstrated that the feedback negativity may be better understood as a reward-related positivity that is absent on nonreward trials, and source localization revealed that this reward response may reflect activity in the striatum. In a commentary on our report, Cohen et al. argue against this latter finding, claiming it is unlikely that the striatum contributes to the scalp-recorded event-related potential. We disagree with the line of reasoning presented by Cohen et al., and we respond here to each of their points. Based on all the available evidence, we argue that the striatum is a plausible generator of a reward-related response observed at the scalp, and this possibility warrants further investigation.