Cited by 300Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesDecision-Making and Behavioral EconomicsNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Distinct Value Signals in Anterior and Posterior Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex

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Smith, David V., Hayden, Benjamin Y., Truong, Trong-Kha, Song, Allen W., Platt, Michael L., Huettel, Scott A.·2010·The Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

The core feature of an economic exchange is a decision to trade one good for another, based on a comparison of relative value. Economists have long recognized, however, that the value an individual ascribes to a good during decision making (i.e., their relative willingness to trade for that good) does not always map onto the reward they actually experience. Here, we show that experienced value and decision value are represented in distinct regions of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) during the passive consumption of rewards. Participants viewed two categories of rewards—images of faces that varied in their attractiveness and monetary gains and losses—while being scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging. An independent market task, in which participants exchanged some of the money that they had earned for brief views of attractive faces, determined the relative decision value associated with each category. We found that activation of anterior VMPFC increased with increasing experienced value, but not decision value, for both reward categories. In contrast, activation of posterior VMPFC predicted each individual's relative decision value for face and monetary stimuli. These results indicate not only that experienced value and decision value are represented in distinct regions of VMPFC, but also that decision value signals are evident even in the absence of an overt choice task. We conclude that decisions are made by comparing neural representations of the value of different goods encoded in posterior VMPFC in a common, relative currency.

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Crossref · 10.1523/jneurosci.3319-09.2010

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  • In neurotypical development, social stimuli such as faces are rewarding.

    “To the extent that, in neurotypical development, social stimuli such as faces are rewarding [719]”
  • Prior work has established that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) plays a central role in computing the value of potential choice options, with activity in this region reflecting the dynamic evolution of a value comparison.

    “Prior work has established that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) plays a central role in computing the value of potential choice options1-5, with activity in this region reflecting the dynamic evolution of a value comparison6.”

    From Confidence in value-based choice (2013) · cites this paper as [5]

  • The observation of social stimuli in general (e.g., smiling faces) increases activity in medial prefrontal cortex and striatum in cases where the social stimuli have a high value.

    “The observation of social stimuli in general (e.g., smiling faces) increases activity in medial prefrontal cortex 33, 34 and striatum in cases where the social stimuli have a high value (e.g., participants will exert effort or pay to view an attractive face) 35–38.”
  • The medial-lateral gradient interacts with a posterior-anterior gradient, which represents secondary reinforcers more anteriorly in the OFC than primary reinforcers.

    “This medial–lateral gradient interacts with a second hedonic gradient along the posterior–anterior axis, which represents secondary reinforcers (such as money), more anteriorly in the OFC than primary reinforcers (such as odors, food, touch, sexual pleasure, or drugs) [15,28,29].”

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Authors
Smith, D. V., Hayden, B. Y., Truong, T.-K., Song, A. W., Platt, M. L., & Huettel, S. A.
Affiliations
Duke University (US)
Venue
The Journal of Neuroscience
Published
2010-02-17
Volume
30
Issue
7
Pages
2490-2495
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W2003614328
Cited by
300
References
44
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 29
FWCI
16.25
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH 70685, R01MH086712, R01MH070685)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (F32DA023338)
  • National Eye Institute (EY-13496, R01EY013496)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (P01NS041328, NS41328)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords
ventromedial prefrontal cortex, decision value, relative value, reward valuation, facial attractiveness, monetary gains and losses, market exchange, value comparison
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Brain Mapping, Decision Making, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Oxygen, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Photic Stimulation, Reward, Risk-Taking, Social Perception, Prefrontal Cortex, Young Adult

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