Orbitofrontal contributions to model-based behavior

Research across species has shown that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is critical for flexible decision making. However, it is less clear what exactly the OFC is contributing to this function. I will present work using functional neuroimaging showing that the human OFC encodes associative information about specific outcomes, and more generally, the associative structure of tasks. This information, often called a cognitive map, allows individuals to simulate the likely outcomes of decisions for which direct experience is lacking. In line with this, disrupting OFC function using network-targeted brain stimulation impairs decisions that critically rely on model-based inference but not behavior that can be based on previous experience.

Dr. Thorsten Kahnt is Chief of the Learning and Decision-Making Unit at NIH/NIDA

Dr. William Hodos NACS Seminars are free and open to the public.