Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the value of control
Amitai Shenhav1,2,3, Jonathan D Cohen1,4, Matthew M Botvinick1,4,5,6
1Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
Nature Neuroscience
|September 28, 2016
Summary
The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) helps determine the best use of cognitive control by calculating the expected value of control (EVC). This EVC theory explains dACC
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Decision Science
Background:
- The precise function of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) remains debated.
- Existing research links dACC to cognitive control, evaluation, and motivation, but lacks a unifying explanation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present an integrative theory of dACC function.
- To explain how dACC integrates cognitive control, evaluation, and motivation.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical integration of existing research on dACC.
- Comparison of the proposed Expected Value of Control (EVC) theory with alternative models.
Main Results:
- The EVC theory posits that dACC specifies optimal control allocation by computing the expected value of control.
- This framework accounts for dACC's sensitivity to various experimental variables and subsequent control adjustments.
- The EVC theory provides a more comprehensive explanation than foraging-based models for dACC function.
Conclusions:
- The Expected Value of Control (EVC) theory offers a coherent framework for understanding dACC's role in cognitive control and motivated behavior.
- This theory better explains dACC's involvement in diverse tasks, including foraging and behavioral adaptation.
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