Abstract
The ability to apply behavioral strategies to obtain rewards efficiently and make choices based on changes in the value of rewards is fundamental to the adaptive control of behavior. The extent to which different regions of the prefrontal cortex are required for specific kinds of decisions is not well understood. We tested rhesus monkeys with bilateral ablations of the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex on tasks that required the use of behavioral strategies to optimize the rate with which rewards were accumulated, or to modify choice behavior in response to changes in the value of particular rewards. Monkeys with ventrolateral prefrontal lesions were impaired in performing the strategy-based task, but not on value-based decision-making. In contrast, orbital prefrontal ablations produced the opposite impairments in the same tasks. These findings support the conclusion that independent neural systems within the prefrontal cortex are necessary for control of choice behavior based on strategies or on stimulus value.
Highlights
Adaptive behavior requires capacities beyond simple stimulus– response learning
Plots of ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) lesion overlap on drawings of a standard rhesus monkey brain
The opposite pattern of impairments was seen after orbital ablations: these had no effect on strategy implementation (Baxter et al, 2007) but impaired reinforcer devaluation. These data demonstrate a double dissociation of function between VLPFC and orbital prefrontal cortex
Summary
Adaptive behavior requires capacities beyond simple stimulus– response learning. The ability to make decisions based on complex behavioral strategies and rules provides for a much richer behavioral repertoire in response to changing environmental demands, as well as more efficient accumulation of rewards. The prefrontal cortex is heavily implicated in strategic and decision-making behavior. There is general agreement about the importance of the prefrontal cortex for strategic behavior. Little is known about the extent to which different subregions of the prefrontal cortex are required for specific aspects of decision-making, based on impairments of particular aspects of behavior by focal damage to subregions of the prefrontal cortex. Such data would facilitate the discovery of the neural mechanisms by which information about stimulus identity and value is integrated with biological drives in order to adaptively control behavior
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