AI Article Synopsis

  • Neural activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and anterior insula (aIns) is linked to economic decision-making and confidence, but their causal relationships were previously unclear.
  • By using intracranial electrical stimulation data from epilepsy patients engaged in an economic choice task, researchers found that stimulation effects on decision-making varied based on the specific brain region targeted along a dorso-ventral axis.
  • Stimulation of the ventral aIns decreased risk-taking by heightening sensitivity to losses, while stimulation in the dorsal aIns and ventral vmPFC increased risk-taking by diminishing loss sensitivity; additionally, aIns stimulation lowered participants' confidence regardless of the precise area stimulated.

Article Abstract

Neural activity within the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and anterior insula (aIns) is often associated with economic choices and confidence. However, it remains unclear whether these brain regions are causally related to these processes. To address this issue, we leveraged intracranial electrical stimulation (iES) data obtained from patients with epilepsy performing an economic choice task. Our results reveal opposite effects of stimulation on decision-making depending on its location along a dorso-ventral axis within each region. Specifically, stimulation of the ventral subregion within aIns reduces risk-taking by increasing participants' sensitivity to potential losses, whereas stimulation of the dorsal subregion of aIns and the ventral portion of the vmPFC increases risk-taking by reducing participants' sensitivity to losses. Moreover, stimulation of the aIns consistently decreases participants' confidence, regardless of its location within the aIns. These findings suggest the existence of functionally dissociated neural subregions and circuits causally involved in accepting or avoiding challenges.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11362155PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51822-8DOI Listing

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