Dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortex orchestrate normative choice.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Decision Science
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Humans often prioritize social norms and fairness over personal gain.
• Understanding the neural basis of these costly normative decisions is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal neural mechanisms underlying fairness-related decision-making.
• To identify the brain regions and networks involved in overriding self-interest for normative goals.

Main Methods:

• Utilized repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to temporarily impair normative behavior.
• Compared functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data between normal and 'deviant' subjects during decision-making tasks.
• Examined neural activity and connectivity in the prefrontal cortex.

Main Results:

• Normal subjects showed significantly higher activity and connectivity between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and posterior ventromedial prefrontal cortex (pVMPFC) when fairness conflicted with self-interest.
• No significant differences in neural patterns or behavior were observed when fairness and self-interest aligned.
• Impaired normative capacity in deviant subjects correlated with reduced activity/connectivity in this prefrontal network.

Conclusions:

• A specific prefrontal network, involving the right DLPFC and pVMPFC, causally facilitates costly normative decisions.
• This network's activation and connectivity are essential for overriding economic self-interest in favor of fairness.
• Findings highlight the neural underpinnings of altruistic and norm-abiding behavior.