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Separate neural pathways process different decision costs

Nature Neuroscience volume 9, pages 1161–1168 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Behavioral ecologists and economists emphasize that potential costs, as well as rewards, influence decision making. Although neuroscientists assume that frontal areas are central to decision making, the evidence is contradictory and the critical region remains unclear. Here it is shown that frontal lobe contributions to cost-benefit decision making can be understood by positing the existence of two independent systems that make decisions about delay and effort costs. Anterior cingulate cortex lesions affected how much effort rats decided to invest for rewards. Orbitofrontal cortical lesions affected how long rats decided to wait for rewards. The pattern of disruption suggested the deficit could be related to impaired associative learning. Impairments of the two systems may underlie apathetic and impulsive choice patterns in neurological and psychiatric illnesses. Although the existence of two systems is not predicted by economic accounts of decision making, our results suggest that delay and effort may exert distinct influences on decision making.

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Figure 1: Experimental apparatus.
Figure 2: Delay-based decision making: experiment 1.1.
Figure 3: Representative pictomicrographs of OFC, ACC and sham lesions.
Figure 4: Delay-based decision making: experiment 1.2 and 1.3.
Figure 5: Effort-based decision making.
Figure 6: Spontaneous locomotor activity.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank G. Daubeny for assistance with histology. This work was supported by the Medical Research Council (P.H.R., M.E.W. and M.F.S.R), the Royal Society (M.F.S.R.) and the Wellcome Trust (M.E.W. and D.M.B.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK

    Peter H Rudebeck, Mark E Walton, Angharad N Smyth, David M Bannerman & Matthew F S Rushworth

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Correspondence to Peter H Rudebeck.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary Fig. 1

Delay based decision-making training before surgery. (PDF 689 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 2

Reconstructions of the minimal (left), representative (centre) and maximal (right) OFC lesions in Experiment 1. (PDF 595 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 3

Reconstructions of the minimal (left), representative (centre) and maximal (right) ACC lesions in Experiment 1. (PDF 805 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 4

Reconstructions of the minimal (left), representative (centre) and maximal (right) OFC lesions in Experiment 2. (PDF 661 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 5

Reconstructions of the minimal (left), representative (centre) and maximal (right) ACC lesions in Experiment 2. (PDF 818 kb)

Supplementary Note (PDF 108 kb)

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Rudebeck, P., Walton, M., Smyth, A. et al. Separate neural pathways process different decision costs. Nat Neurosci 9, 1161–1168 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1756

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