title: Neural encoding of opposing strategy values in anterior and posterior cingulate cortex.
abstract: Humans, and animals, often encounter ambiguous situations that require a decision on whether to take an offense or a defense strategy. Behavioral studies suggest that a strategy decision is frequently made before concrete options are evaluated. It remains enigmatic, however, how a strategy is determined without exploration of options. Here we investigated neural correlates of quick offense-versus-defense strategy decision in a board game, shogi. We found that the rostral anterior cingulate cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex complementally encoded the defense and attack strategy values, respectively. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex compared the two strategy values. Several brain regions were activated during decision of concrete moves under an instructed strategy, whereas none of them showed correlation with defense or attack strategy values in their activities during strategy decision. These findings suggest that values of alternative strategies represented in different parts of the cingulate cortex have essential roles in intuitive strategy decision-making.
authors.affiliation: 1] Cognitive Brain Mapping Laboratory, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan. [2] State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: 1] Cognitive Brain Mapping Laboratory, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan. [2] Support Unit for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Brain Mapping Laboratory, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D005717:Games, Experimental; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012201:Reward; D055815:Young Adult