The role of mPFC and MTL neurons in human choice under goal-conflict

Tomer Gazit; Tal Gonen; Guy Gurevitch; Noa Cohen; Ido Strauss; Yoav Zeevi; Hagar Yamin; Firas Fahoum; Talma Hendler; Itzhak Fried

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-16908-z

The role of mPFC and MTL neurons in human choice under goal-conflict

Tomer Gazit
, Tal Gonen
, Guy Gurevitch
, Noa Cohen
, Ido Strauss
, Yoav Zeevi
, Hagar Yamin
, Firas Fahoum
, Talma Hendler
, Itzhak Fried

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Resolving approach-avoidance conflicts relies on encoding motivation outcomes and learning from past experiences. Accumulating evidence points to the role of the Medial Temporal Lobe (MTL) and Medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC) in these processes, but their differential contributions have not been convincingly deciphered in humans. We detect 310 neurons from mPFC and MTL from patients with epilepsy undergoing intracranial recordings and participating in a goal-conflict task where rewards and punishments could be controlled or not. mPFC neurons are more selective to punishments than rewards when controlled. However, only MTL firing following punishment is linked to a lower probability for subsequent approach behavior. mPFC response to punishment precedes a similar MTL response and affects subsequent behavior via an interaction with MTL firing. We thus propose a model where approach-avoidance conflict resolution in humans depends on outcome value tagging in mPFC neurons influencing encoding of such value in MTL to affect subsequent choice.

Original language	English
Article number	3192
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	11
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16908-z
State	Published - 1 Dec 2020
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, The Author(s).

Funding

We acknowledge financial support from the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 604102 (Human Brain Project). This work was also supported by the I-CORE Program of the Planning and Budgeting Committee and the Israel Science Foundation (grant no. 51/11, TH) and the Sagol Family Fund.

Funders	Funder number
Sagol Family Fund
National Science Foundation	1756473
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke	NS084017, NS108930
Seventh Framework Programme	604102
Israel Science Foundation
Seventh Framework Programme
Israeli Centers for Research Excellence	51/11
Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education of Israel

Access to Document

10.1038/s41467-020-16908-z

Cite this

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abstract = "Resolving approach-avoidance conflicts relies on encoding motivation outcomes and learning from past experiences. Accumulating evidence points to the role of the Medial Temporal Lobe (MTL) and Medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC) in these processes, but their differential contributions have not been convincingly deciphered in humans. We detect 310 neurons from mPFC and MTL from patients with epilepsy undergoing intracranial recordings and participating in a goal-conflict task where rewards and punishments could be controlled or not. mPFC neurons are more selective to punishments than rewards when controlled. However, only MTL firing following punishment is linked to a lower probability for subsequent approach behavior. mPFC response to punishment precedes a similar MTL response and affects subsequent behavior via an interaction with MTL firing. We thus propose a model where approach-avoidance conflict resolution in humans depends on outcome value tagging in mPFC neurons influencing encoding of such value in MTL to affect subsequent choice.",

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AU - Zeevi, Yoav

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AU - Fahoum, Firas

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