1. Neuroscience

Specialized areas for value updating and goal selection in the primate orbitofrontal cortex

  1. Elisabeth A Murray  Is a corresponding author
  2. Emily J Moylan
  3. Kadharbatcha S Saleem
  4. Benjamin M Basile
  5. Janita Turchi
  1. National Institutes of Health, United States
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11695
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  1. Elisabeth A Murray
  2. Emily J Moylan
  3. Kadharbatcha S Saleem
  4. Benjamin M Basile
  5. Janita Turchi
(2015)
Specialized areas for value updating and goal selection in the primate orbitofrontal cortex
eLife 4:e11695.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11695
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  3. Download .RIS

Abstract

The macaque orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is essential for selecting goals based on current, updated values of expected reward outcomes. As monkeys consume a given type of reward to satiety, its value diminishes, and OFC damage impairs the ability to shift goal choices away from devalued outcomes. To examine the contributions of OFC's components to goal selection, we reversibly inactivated either its anterior (area 11) or posterior (area 13) parts. We found that neurons in area 13 must be active during the selective satiation procedure to enable the updating of outcome valuations. After this updating has occurred, however, area 13 is not needed to select goals based on this knowledge. In contrast, neurons in area 11 do not need to be active during the value-updating process. Instead, inactivation of this area during choices causes an impairment. These findings demonstrate selective and complementary specializations within the OFC.

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Author details

  1. Elisabeth A Murray

    Section on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
    For correspondence
    murraye@mail.nih.gov
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  2. Emily J Moylan

    Section on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  3. Kadharbatcha S Saleem

    Section on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  4. Benjamin M Basile

    Section on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  5. Janita Turchi

    Section on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

Reviewing Editor

  1. Joshua I Gold, University of Pennsylvania, United Kingdom

Ethics

Animal experimentation: All research was carried out in strict adherence to the laws and regulations of the U.S. Animal Welfare Act (USDA, 1990) and Public Health Service Policies (PHS, 2002), as well as nongovernmental recommendations of the National Research Council as published in the ILAR 'Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals'. All procedures were reviewed and approved by the National Institute of Mental Health Animal Care and Use Committee.

Version history

  1. Received: September 17, 2015
  2. Accepted: November 17, 2015
  3. Accepted Manuscript published: December 17, 2015 (version 1)
  4. Version of Record published: January 26, 2016 (version 2)

Copyright

This is an open-access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.

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  1. Elisabeth A Murray
  2. Emily J Moylan
  3. Kadharbatcha S Saleem
  4. Benjamin M Basile
  5. Janita Turchi
(2015)
Specialized areas for value updating and goal selection in the primate orbitofrontal cortex
eLife 4:e11695.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11695

Share this article

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11695

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