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Direct stimulation of anterior insula and ventromedial prefrontal cortex disrupts economic choices

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Neural activity within the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and anterior insula (aIns) is often associated with economic choices and confidence. However, it remains unclear whether these brain regions are causally related to these processes. To address this issue, we leveraged intracranial electrical stimulation (iES) data obtained from patients with epilepsy performing an economic choice task. Our results reveal opposite effects of stimulation on decision-making depending on its location along a dorso-ventral axis within each region. Specifically, stimulation of the ventral subregion within aIns reduces risk-taking by increasing participants’ sensitivity to potential losses, whereas stimulation of the dorsal subregion of aIns and the ventral portion of the vmPFC increases risk-taking by reducing participants’ sensitivity to losses. Moreover, stimulation of the aIns consistently decreases participants’ confidence, regardless of its location within the aIns. These findings suggest the existence of functionally dissociated neural subregions and circuits causally involved in accepting or avoiding challenges. Activity in the vmPFC and anterior insula is associated with economic choice and confidence, but their causal involvement is unclear. Here, the authors show that intracranial stimulation of subregions of these areas has distinct effects on risk-taking, loss sensitivity and confidence judgments.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51822-8