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Cited by 42Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorMemory and Neural Mechanisms

Involvement of the rodent prelimbic and medial orbitofrontal cortices in goal‐directed action: A brief review

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Woon, Ellen P., Sequeira, Michelle K., Barbee, Britton R., Gourley, Shannon L.·2020·Journal of Neuroscience Research
DOI 10.1002/jnr.24567PMC PMC7392403
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Abstract

Goal‐directed action refers to selecting behaviors based on the expectation that they will be reinforced with desirable outcomes. It is typically conceptualized as opposing habit‐based behaviors, which are instead supported by stimulus–response associations and insensitive to consequences. The prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL) is positioned along the medial wall of the rodent prefrontal cortex. It is indispensable for action–outcome‐driven (goal‐directed) behavior, consolidating action–outcome relationships and linking contextual information with instrumental behavior. In this brief review, we will discuss the growing list of molecular factors involved in PL function. Ventral to the PL is the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC). We will also summarize emerging evidence from rodents (complementing existing literature describing humans) that it too is involved in action–outcome conditioning. We describe experiments using procedures that quantify responding based on reward value, the likelihood of reinforcement, or effort requirements, touching also on experiments assessing food consumption more generally. We synthesize these findings with the argument that the mOFC is essential to goal‐directed action when outcome value information is not immediately observable and must be recalled and inferred.

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Woon, E. P., Sequeira, M. K., Barbee, B. R., & Gourley, S. L.
Affiliations
Emory University (US)
Corresponding author
Gourley, Shannon L.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Neuroscience Research
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2019-12-10
Volume
98
Issue
6
Pages
1020-1030
ISSN
  • 0360-4012 (ISSN-L)
  • 1097-4547
DOI
10.1002/jnr.24567
PMC
PMC7392403
OpenAlex
W2996334051
Cited by
42
References
11
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 6
FWCI
0.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS096050)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH100023, MH117103)
  • NIH Office of the Director (OD011132)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA044297)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Keywords
goal-directed action, prelimbic cortex, medial orbitofrontal cortex, action-outcome learning, reward value, reinforcement probability, effort-based decision making, dietary intake
MeSH terms
Animals, Behavior, Animal, Goals, Neural Pathways, Reward, Rodentia, Prefrontal Cortex

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