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Related Experiment Video

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Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods

Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods

Published on: September 19, 2012

Effort-based cost-benefit valuation and the human brain.

Paula L Croxson¹, Mark E Walton, Jill X O'Reilly

¹Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain, Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience

|April 10, 2009

Summary

Human brain activity in the ventral striatum and anterior cingulate cortex (ACCd) guides effort-based decisions by calculating net value, integrating reward expectations with effort costs. This reveals conserved mechanisms for cost-benefit valuation across mammals.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Decision Neuroscience

Background:

Animal studies implicate the ventral striatum and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACCd) in effort-based decision-making.
Limited understanding exists regarding how effort costs influence value calculations in humans.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate human brain activity associated with effort-based cost-benefit valuation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
To identify brain regions that process and integrate reward expectations and effort costs.

Main Methods:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to scan subjects performing effortful tasks for rewards.
Subjects learned to associate visual cues with specific effort levels and reward magnitudes.
Cue-locked brain activity was analyzed to assess neural correlates of value computation.

Main Results:

Ventral striatum and midbrain activity reflected net value, representing reward discounted by effort.
Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACCd) activity showed an interaction between expected reward and effort costs.
Posterior orbitofrontal and insular cortex activity correlated with expected reward magnitude only.

Conclusions:

The ventral striatum and ACCd are crucial for effort-based cost-benefit valuation in humans.
These brain regions may represent a conserved neural substrate for evaluating actions based on both reward and effort across mammals.