The decision value computations in the vmPFC and striatum use a relative value code that is guided by visual...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral neuroscience
• Cognitive neuroscience
• Neuroeconomics

Background:

• The brain is thought to make choices by valuing and comparing options.
• Key questions remain about whether value signals are absolute or relative, and the role of attention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if the brain encodes absolute or relative value signals.
• To determine the role of visual attention in valuation computations during decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Human fMRI experiment utilizing a binary choice task.
• Exogenous manipulation of visual attention to stimuli to isolate its role.

Main Results:

• The ventromedial prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum showed fixation-dependent relative value signals.
• Activity in these regions correlated with the value difference between attended and unattended items.

Conclusions:

• Attention modulates value signals, suggesting a relative value computation.
• Attention-modulated relative value signals may input into a choice comparator system.