Does the medial orbitofrontal cortex have a role in social valuation?

Eur J Neurosci. 2010 Jun;31(12):2341-51. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07271.x. Epub 2010 Jun 14.

Abstract

It has been claimed that social behaviour changes after lesions of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). However, lesions in humans are rarely restricted to a well defined cortical area. Although vmPFC lesions usually include medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC), they typically also affect subgenual and/or perigenual anterior cingulate cortex. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the role of mOFC in social valuation and decision-making. We tested four macaque monkeys prior to and after focal lesions of mOFC. Comparison of the animals' pre- and postoperative performance revealed that, unlike lesions of anterior cingulate gyrus (ACCg), lesions of mOFC did not induce alterations in social valuation. MOFC lesions did, however, induce mild impairments in a probabilistic two-choice decision task, which were not seen after ACCg lesions. In summary, the double dissociation between the patterns of impairment suggest that vmPFC involvement in both decision-making and social valuation may be mediated by distinct subregions centred on mOFC and ACCg respectively.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / physiology*
  • Choice Behavior / physiology
  • Decision Making / physiology
  • Humans
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Prefrontal Cortex / anatomy & histology*
  • Prefrontal Cortex / pathology
  • Prefrontal Cortex / physiology*
  • Social Behavior*