A new perspective on the role of the orbitofrontal cortex in adaptive behaviour.
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is crucial for changing established behaviour in the face of unexpected outcomes. This function has been attributed to the role of the OFC in response inhibition or to the idea that the OFC is a rapidly flexible associative-learning area. However, recent data contradict these accounts, and instead suggest that the OFC is crucial for signalling outcome expectancies. We suggest that this function--signalling of expected outcomes--can also explain the crucial role of the OFC in changing behaviour in the face of unexpected outcomes.
Schoenbaum
Geoffrey
G
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA. schoenbg@schoenbaumlab.org
Roesch
Matthew R
MR
Stalnaker
Thomas A
TA
Takahashi
Yuji K
YK
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*