How green is the grass on the other side? Frontopolar cortex and the evidence in favor of alternative courses of action.

Journal article

Behavioral flexibility is the hallmark of goal-directed behavior. Whereas a great deal is known about the neural substrates of behavioral adjustment when it is explicitly cued by features of the external environment, little is known about how we adapt our behavior when such changes are made on the basis of uncertain evidence. Using a Bayesian reinforcement-learning model and fMRI, we show that frontopolar cortex (FPC) tracks the relative advantage in favor of switching to a foregone alternati...

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Authors: Boorman, E; Behrens, T; Woolrich, M; Rushworth, M

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Neuron
• Volume: 62
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 733-743
• Publication date: 2009-06-01
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2009.05.014
• EISSN: 1097-4199
• ISSN: 0896-6273
• Language: English
• Keywords: Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Female; Humans; Young Adult; Bayes Theorem; Psychomotor Performance; Brain Mapping; Regression Analysis; Neuropsychological Tests; Decision Making; Functional Laterality; Male; Oxygen; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Frontal Lobe; Signal Detection, Psychological; Reward; Adult; Models, Neurological