Effort-based decision making in the rat: an [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose micro positron emission tomography study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Decision Science

Background:

• Decision-making involves choosing actions based on expected costs and benefits.
• The anterior cingulate cortex and nucleus accumbens are implicated in effort-based decisions from lesion studies.
• Brain activation patterns during effort-based decision-making in intact rats remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate brain metabolic activity associated with effort-based decision-making in intact rats.
• To compare brain activation between conditions requiring simple reward-based choices and those integrating effort and reward.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 2-deoxy-2[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in male rats.
• Assessed regional metabolic changes under two decision-making conditions: 'same effort' and 'different effort'.
• Employed subtractive analysis to identify differences in brain metabolism between the two conditions.

Main Results:

• Increased metabolic activity was observed in the left anterior cingulate, left orbitofrontal, and prelimbic cortex in the 'different effort' condition compared to the 'same effort' condition.
• Decreased metabolic activity was noted in the infralimbic cortex and septum.
• Decision-making involving the integration of effort and reward size altered metabolic activity in multiple brain areas.

Conclusions:

• Effort-based decision-making, particularly when integrating varying efforts and rewards, engages a network of brain regions.
• These regions span cognitive, limbic, motor, and autonomic functions.
• FDG-PET is a valuable tool for assessing regional brain metabolic activity during cognitive tasks in rats.