Range-adapting representation of economic value in the orbitofrontal cortex. 2009

Camillo Padoa-Schioppa
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. camillo@wustl.edu

While making economic choices, individuals assign subjective values to the available options. Values computed in different behavioral conditions, however, can vary substantially. The same person might choose some times between goods worth a few dollars, and other times between goods worth thousands of dollars, or more. How does the brain system that computes values -- the "valuation system" -- handle this large variability? Here we show that the representation of value in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), an area implicated in value assignment during economic choice, adapts to the behavioral condition of choice and, more specifically, to the range of values available in any given condition. In the experiments, monkeys chose between different juices and their choice patterns provided a measure of subjective value. Value ranges were varied from session to session and, in each session, OFC neurons encoded values in a linear way. Across the population, the neuronal sensitivity (defined as the change in neuronal activity elicited by the increase in one value unit) was inversely proportional to the value range. Conversely, the neuronal activity range did not depend on the value range. This phenomenon of range adaptation complements that of menu invariance observed in a previous study. Indeed, the activity of each neuron adapts to the range values it encodes but does not depend on other available goods. Our results thus suggest that the representation of value in the OFC is at one time instantiative of preference transitivity (menu invariance) and computationally efficient (range adaptation).

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010775 Photic Stimulation Investigative technique commonly used during ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY in which a series of bright light flashes or visual patterns are used to elicit brain activity. Stimulation, Photic,Visual Stimulation,Photic Stimulations,Stimulation, Visual,Stimulations, Photic,Stimulations, Visual,Visual Stimulations
D002755 Choice Behavior The act of making a selection among two or more alternatives, usually after a period of deliberation. Approach Behavior,Approach Behaviors,Behavior, Approach,Behavior, Choice,Behaviors, Approach,Behaviors, Choice,Choice Behaviors
D004467 Economics The science of utilization, distribution, and consumption of services and materials. Consumer Price Index,Capital,Conditions, Economic,Consumption,Cost of Living,Easterlin Hypothesis,Economic Conditions,Economic Policies,Economic Policy,Economics, Home,Home Economics,Household Consumption,Macroeconomic Factors,Microeconomic Factors,Policies, Economic,Policy, Economic,Production,Remittances,Utility Theory,Condition, Economic,Consumer Price Indices,Consumption, Household,Economic Condition,Factor, Macroeconomic,Factor, Microeconomic,Factors, Macroeconomic,Factors, Microeconomic,Household Consumptions,Hypothesis, Easterlin,Index, Consumer Price,Indices, Consumer Price,Living Cost,Living Costs,Remittance,Theories, Utility,Theory, Utility,Utility Theories
D005625 Frontal Lobe The part of the cerebral hemisphere anterior to the central sulcus, and anterior and superior to the lateral sulcus. Brodmann Area 8,Brodmann's Area 8,Frontal Cortex,Frontal Eye Fields,Lobus Frontalis,Supplementary Eye Field,Area 8, Brodmann,Area 8, Brodmann's,Brodmanns Area 8,Cortex, Frontal,Eye Field, Frontal,Eye Field, Supplementary,Eye Fields, Frontal,Frontal Cortices,Frontal Eye Field,Frontal Lobes,Lobe, Frontal,Supplementary Eye Fields
D000222 Adaptation, Physiological The non-genetic biological changes of an organism in response to challenges in its ENVIRONMENT. Adaptation, Physiologic,Adaptations, Physiologic,Adaptations, Physiological,Adaptive Plasticity,Phenotypic Plasticity,Physiological Adaptation,Physiologic Adaptation,Physiologic Adaptations,Physiological Adaptations,Plasticity, Adaptive,Plasticity, Phenotypic
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000882 Haplorhini A suborder of PRIMATES consisting of six families: CEBIDAE (some New World monkeys), ATELIDAE (some New World monkeys), CERCOPITHECIDAE (Old World monkeys), HYLOBATIDAE (gibbons and siamangs), CALLITRICHINAE (marmosets and tamarins), and HOMINIDAE (humans and great apes). Anthropoidea,Monkeys,Anthropoids,Monkey

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