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The Journal of Neuroscience, July 1, 2009, 29(26):8388-8395; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0717-09.2009

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Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
The Role of Human Orbitofrontal Cortex in Value Comparison for Incommensurable Objects

Thomas H. B. FitzGerald,^1,2 Ben Seymour,^1,3 and Raymond J. Dolan¹

¹Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom, ²Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Camberwell, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom, and ³Economic and Social Research Council Centre for Economic Learning and Social Evolution, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom

Correspondence should be addressed to Thomas H. B. FitzGerald, PO43, Institute of Psychiatry, Camberwell, London SE5 8AF, UK. Email: thomas.fitzgerald{at}iop.kcl.ac.uk

The human orbitofrontal cortex is strongly implicated in appetitive valuation. Whether its role extends to support comparative valuation necessary to explain probabilistic choice patterns for incommensurable goods is unknown. Using a binary choice paradigm, we derived the subjective values of different bundles of goods, under conditions of both gain and loss. We demonstrate that orbitofrontal activation reflects the difference in subjective value between available options, an effect evident across valuation for both gains and losses. In contrast, activation in dorsal striatum and supplementary motor areas reflects subjects' choice probabilities. These findings indicate that orbitofrontal cortex plays a pivotal role in valuation for incommensurable goods, a critical component process in human decision making.

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Received Feb. 11, 2009; revised March 27, 2009; accepted April 24, 2009.

Correspondence should be addressed to Thomas H. B. FitzGerald, PO43, Institute of Psychiatry, Camberwell, London SE5 8AF, UK. Email: thomas.fitzgerald{at}iop.kcl.ac.uk

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