Decision-making and the frontal lobes.
OBJECTIVE
This article reviews the most significant advances concerning the neural correlates of decision-making with emphasis on those imaging studies investigating the neural implementation of evaluative judgment processes. This is done against the background of current concepts from the field of judgment and decision-making.


RESULTS
Actual neuroscientific findings suggest that subject to the extent of how deeply a decision-maker has to explore his/her value system in order to reach a decision, distinguishable orbital and medial prefrontal areas will be engaged. Decisions low in costs mapping the values onto the decision problem mainly rely on orbital and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, whereas decisions high in costs particularly draw on anterior-medial and dorsomedial prefrontal areas. This suggestion is related to the anatomic properties of the respective areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Combining neuroimaging data with concepts from research in judgment and decision-making may facilitate advances in our understanding of the contrast between normative theories and descriptive theories of decision-making. Incorporating findings from research on decision-making behavior in patients with specific prefrontal lesions may have much to offer for an understanding of both the areas' functions and cognitive theories on decision-making.
Volz
Kirsten G
KG
Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. volz@cbs.mpg.de
Schubotz
Ricarda I
RI
von Cramon
D Yves
DY
D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology