title: Selective increase of intention-based economic decisions by noninvasive brain stimulation to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
abstract: The intention behind another's action and the impact of the outcome are major determinants of human economic behavior. It is poorly understood, however, whether the two systems share a core neural computation. Here, we investigated whether the two systems are causally dissociable in the brain by integrating computational modeling, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and transcranial direct current stimulation experiments in a newly developed trust game task. We show not only that right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activity is correlated with intention-based economic decisions and that ventral striatum and amygdala activity are correlated with outcome-based decisions, but also that stimulation to the DLPFC selectively enhances intention-based decisions. These findings suggest that the right DLPFC is involved in the implementation of intention-based decisions in the processing of cooperative decisions. This causal dissociation of cortical and subcortical backgrounds may indicate evolutionary and developmental differences in the two decision systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics and Information, Gifu Shotoku University, Gifu 500-8288, Japan, Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Osaka 565-0871, Japan, mharuno@nict.go.jp t.nihonsugi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nihonsugi
authors.affiliation: Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ihara
authors.affiliation: Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Osaka 565-0871, Japan, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 332-0012, Japan, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan, and Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tokyo 194-8610, Japan mharuno@nict.go.jp t.nihonsugi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haruno
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000502:physiology; D003657:Decision Making; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014040:Token Economy; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: computational modeling; cooperation; fMRI; social neuroscience; tDCS