Orbitofrontal cortex uses distinct codes for different choice attributes in decisions motivated by curiosity

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Decision Science
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Decision-makers value advance information about future events.
• The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is implicated in value-based decision-making.
• Understanding neural mechanisms of curiosity and information-seeking is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test competing theories of value representation in the OFC.
• To investigate how the OFC encodes information value and primary reward value.
• To elucidate the neural basis of curiosity-driven decisions.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel task where monkeys could sacrifice primary reward (water) for information about gamble outcomes.
• Recorded neural activity in area 13 of the OFC during the task.
• Analyzed how OFC neurons encoded information value and primary reward value.

Main Results:

• Monkeys consistently chose to view advance information, demonstrating its value.
• OFC neurons encoded information value and primary reward value in orthogonal, rather than integrated, manners.
• No systematic tendency for OFC neurons to integrate these variables was observed.

Conclusions:

• The OFC's primary role appears to be encoding variables for learning, attention, and decision-making, not integrating them into a single value scale.
• The OFC may function at an early stage of information-seeking decisions, before complete evaluation.
• The study delineates a circuit for information-seeking decisions and suggests a neural basis for curiosity.