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Specific frontal neural dynamics contribute to decisions to check

Author

Listed:
  • Frederic M. Stoll

    (Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208)

  • Vincent Fontanier

    (Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208)

  • Emmanuel Procyk

    (Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208)

Abstract

Curiosity and information seeking potently shapes our behaviour and are thought to rely on the frontal cortex. Yet, the frontal regions and neural dynamics that control the drive to check for information remain unknown. Here we trained monkeys in a task where they had the opportunity to gain information about the potential delivery of a large bonus reward or continue with a default instructed decision task. Single-unit recordings in behaving monkeys reveal that decisions to check for additional information first engage midcingulate cortex and then lateral prefrontal cortex. The opposite is true for instructed decisions. Importantly, deciding to check engages neurons also involved in performance monitoring. Further, specific midcingulate activity could be discerned several trials before the monkeys actually choose to check the environment. Our data show that deciding to seek information on the current state of the environment is characterized by specific dynamics of neural activity within the prefrontal cortex.

Suggested Citation

  • Frederic M. Stoll & Vincent Fontanier & Emmanuel Procyk, 2016. "Specific frontal neural dynamics contribute to decisions to check," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-14, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms11990
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11990
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    Cited by:

    1. Christine Beauchene & Silu Men & Thomas Hinault & Susan M. Courtney & Sridevi V. Sarma, 2022. "Using Neural Networks to Uncover the Relationship between Highly Variable Behavior and EEG during a Working Memory Task with Distractors," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-17, May.
    2. Haoyang Lu & Li Yi & Hang Zhang, 2019. "Autistic traits influence the strategic diversity of information sampling: Insights from two-stage decision models," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(12), pages 1-29, December.

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