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The precision of value-based choices depends causally on fronto-parietal phase coupling

Author

Listed:
  • Rafael Polanía

    (Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research (SNS-Lab), University of Zurich)

  • Marius Moisa

    (Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research (SNS-Lab), University of Zurich
    Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH of Zurich)

  • Alexander Opitz

    (Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research
    Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute)

  • Marcus Grueschow

    (Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research (SNS-Lab), University of Zurich)

  • Christian C. Ruff

    (Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research (SNS-Lab), University of Zurich)

Abstract

Which meal would you like today, chicken or pasta? For such value-based choices, organisms must flexibly integrate various types of sensory information about internal states and the environment to transform them into actions. Recent accounts suggest that these choice-relevant processes are mediated by information transfer between functionally specialized but spatially distributed brain regions in parietal and prefrontal cortex; however, it remains unclear whether such fronto-parietal communication is causally involved in guiding value-based choices. We find that transcranially inducing oscillatory desynchronization between the frontopolar and -parietal cortex leads to more inaccurate choices between food rewards while leaving closely matched perceptual decisions unaffected. Computational modelling shows that this exogenous manipulation leads to imprecise value assignments to the choice alternatives. Thus, our study demonstrates that accurate value-based decisions critically involve coherent rhythmic information transfer between fronto-parietal brain areas and establishes an experimental approach to non-invasively manipulate the precision of value-based choices in humans.

Suggested Citation

  • Rafael Polanía & Marius Moisa & Alexander Opitz & Marcus Grueschow & Christian C. Ruff, 2015. "The precision of value-based choices depends causally on fronto-parietal phase coupling," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-10, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms9090
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9090
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    Cited by:

    1. Ryan Webb & Paul W. Glimcher & Kenway Louie, 2021. "The Normalization of Consumer Valuations: Context-Dependent Preferences from Neurobiological Constraints," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(1), pages 93-125, January.
    2. Linda Q. Yu & Jason Dana & Joseph W. Kable, 2022. "Individuals with ventromedial frontal damage display unstable but transitive preferences during decision making," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.

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