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Related Experiment Video

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Investigating the Function of Deep Cortical and Subcortical Structures Using Stereotactic Electroencephalography: Lessons from the Anterior Cingulate Cortex

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Orbitofrontal cortex provides cross-modal valuation of self-generated stimuli.

William A Cunningham¹, Ingrid R Johnsen, Ashley S Waggoner

¹The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. cunningham.417@osu.edu

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience

|May 11, 2010

Summary

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) evaluates imagined stimuli using a common system, similar to how it processes real-world stimuli. This suggests the OFC

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Decision Neuroscience

Background:

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is implicated in stimulus evaluation across different modalities.
Previous research suggests the OFC acts as a common currency for comparing diverse perceptual stimuli.
The role of the OFC in evaluating internally generated (imagined) stimuli remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if the OFC regions involved in evaluating external stimuli also evaluate imagined stimuli.
To determine if the OFC utilizes a common valuation system for both perceived and imagined stimuli.
To extend the common currency hypothesis to internally generated representations.

Main Methods:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to monitor brain activity.
Participants generated internal representations of liked and disliked exemplars from various categories.
Participants drew upon prior attitudinal knowledge to create these imagined stimuli.

Main Results:

Brain activity in the OFC was observed during the evaluation of imagined stimuli.
The identified OFC regions were consistent with those found in studies of perceived stimuli.
Evaluation of imagined stimuli across different categories engaged overlapping OFC regions.

Conclusions:

The findings support the hypothesis that the OFC employs a common valuation system for imagined stimuli.
This common system in the OFC appears to operate similarly for both internally generated and externally perceived stimuli.
The OFC's role in subjective value representation extends to internally generated, imagined content.