T21. Causal Role of the Dorsal-Lateral Prefrontal Cortex in Approach-Avoidance Conflict

Abstract

How we decide when faced with a decision with embedded reward and punishment, termed approach-avoidance conflict (AAC), is motivated by our drive to approach rewarding, and avoid punishing outcomes. Locating a brain region causally driving human AAC behavior would make significant headway in developing novel treatments for affective disorders involving reduced sensitivity to reward, such as post-traumatic stress and anxiety disorder. The current study utilizes disruptive TMS during an AAC task to probe the causal role of the prefrontal cortex in AAC decision-making.