Neuro-computational basis underlying value integration during effort-based decision-making

Abstract

<p>AIMS: Effort decision-making is a common decision situation that requires a trade-off between reward and effort cost, and thus value integration is an important psychological process involved. This study focuses on the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying the value integration during effortful decision making.<br>METHODS: Published fMRI studies in this area were summarized using a meta-analytic approach, and the cognitive neural activity characterizing effort-related value calculation and its similarities and differences with risky decision-making were further explored in two independent fMRI experiments.<br>RESULTS: The results of the meta-analysis showed that the activity in both brain regions, vmPFC and dmPFC, was significantly correlated with the net value of the option during effort-based decision-making. In two independent fMRI experiments, we also directly explored the similarities and differences in neural activity related to value calculation in effortful versus risky decision-making using multivariate neural decoding analysis. For effortful versus risky decisions, we found that the neural patterns of the dmPFC (and part of the vmPFC) significantly predicted the magnitude of the subjective value of options in effortful decisions. In addition, by directly comparing effortful decision-making with risky decision-making, we found that the dmPFC exhibited a similar pattern of neural activity related to the value integration in both decision situations.<br>CONCLUSION: Using image-based fMRI meta-analysis, cognitive computational modeling, and multivariate neural decoding analysis, this study found that brain regions such as the dmPFC may play an important role in the value integration during effortful decision making. These findings not only further elucidate the cognitive and neural mechanisms related to value integration, but also provide important insights into the treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders with abnormal effortful decision-making.<br></p>