Is the core function of orbitofrontal cortex to signal values or make predictions?

Abstract

One dominant hypothesis about the function of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is that the OFC signals the subjective values of possible outcomes to other brain areas for learning and decision making. This popular view generally neglects the fact that OFC is not necessary for simple value-based behavior (i.e., when values have been directly experienced). An alternative, emerging view suggests that OFC plays a more general role in representing structural information about the task or environment, derived from prior experience, and relevant to predicting behavioral outcomes, such as value. From this perspective, value signaling is simply one derivative of the core underlying function of OFC. New data in favor of both views have been accumulating rapidly. Here we review these new data in discussing the relative merits of these two ideas.

The hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex jointly represent task structure during memory-guided decision making

“…Our results align well with a model recently proposed by Zhou et al (2021) , who argued that representation of value in OFC is relevant to its more general role in representations of task structure. One prominent study that provided evidence for the role of OFC in task representation was by Schuck et al (2016) , who designed an fMRI study in which participants were asked to judge whether a face or a house was young or old on each trial.…”

“…A recent theory, however, suggests that OFC might have a more general function beyond representing value, and additionally the OFC might represent the structure of the task or environment ( Wilson et al, 2014 ). For instance, studies have provided evidence that OFC represents the current task state in a cognitive map of the task spaces ( Park et al, 2020 ; Schuck et al, 2016 ; Wikenheiser and Schoenbaum, 2016 ; Zhou et al, 2021 ). In this view, task structure representation is a more general role for OFC that also includes value representation that can be derived from the task structure.…”

Representation of Task Structure in Human Hippocampus and Orbitofrontal Cortex

“…Our results align well with a model recently proposed by Zhou et al (Zhou et al, 2021), who argue that representation of value in OFC is relevant to its more general role in representations of task structure. One prominent study which provided evidence for the role of OFC in task representation was by Schuck et al (2016).…”

“…A recent theory, however, suggests that OFC might have a more general function beyond representing value, and additionally the OFC might represent the structure of the task or environment (Wilson et al, 2014). For instance, studies provided evidence for OFC representing the current task state in a cognitive map of the task spaces (Park et al, 2020;Schuck et al, 2016;Wikenheiser & Schoenbaum, 2016;Zhou et al, 2021). In this view, task structure representation is a more general role for OFC that also includes value representation that can be derived from the task structure.…”

They forgot their “baby”?!: Factors that lead students to forget their cell phone

“…Most importantly, based on the lack of a difference between the autonomic and explicit encoding conditions, we propose that intentions to recover objects of intrinsic value can be autonomically encoded, retained, and initially cued for retrieval outside of conscious awareness. Based on what is known about the neural substrates of goal maintenance and the coding of subjective value (Cona et al, 2015;Mansouri et al, 2017;Zhou et al, 2021), we can even speculate that such signals are represented via frontal-striatal circuitry, and would be sensitive to drugs or damage that affect this circuitry. We believe this is an exciting hypothesis to address in future research.…”