Cited by 1,314Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorDecision-Making and Behavioral Economics

Relative reward preference in primate orbitofrontal cortex

Tremblay, Léon, Schultz, Wolfram·1999·Nature

Abstract

The orbital part of prefrontal cortex appears to be crucially involved in the motivational control of goal-directed behaviour. Patients with lesions of orbitofrontal cortex show impairments in making decisions about the expected outcome of actions. Monkeys with orbitofrontal lesions respond abnormally to changes in reward expectations and show altered reward preferences. As rewards constitute basic goals of behaviour, we investigated here how neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex of monkeys process information about liquid and food rewards in a typical frontal task, spatial delayed responding. The activity of orbitofrontal neurons increases in response to reward-predicting signals, during the expectation of rewards, and after the receipt of rewards. Neurons discriminate between different rewards, mainly irrespective of the spatial and visual features of reward-predicting stimuli and behavioural reactions. Most reward discriminations reflect the animals' relative preference among the available rewards, as expressed by their choice behaviour, rather than physical reward properties. Thus, neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex appear to process the motivational value of rewarding outcomes of voluntary action.

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Crossref · 10.1038/19525

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Authors
Tremblay, L., & Schultz, W.
Affiliations
University of Fribourg (CH)
Venue
Nature
Published
1999-04
Volume
398
Issue
6729
Pages
704-708
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W1562703792
Cited by
1,314
References
29
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 46 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 50 · 2017: 44 · 2016: 44 · 2015: 47 · 2014: 49 · 2013: 49 · 2012: 58
FWCI
24.28
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
Keywords
orbitofrontal cortex, reward preference, reward anticipation, reward prediction, motivational value, goal-directed behavior, choice behavior
MeSH terms
Animals, Behavior, Animal, Choice Behavior, Discrimination Learning, Electrophysiology, Learning, Macaca, Reward, Prefrontal Cortex

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