Lateral orbitofrontal cortex integrates predictive information across multiple cues to guide behavior

Individuals are often faced with multiple cues that concurrently predict the same outcome, and combining these predictions may benefit behavior. Previous work has studied the neural basis of decision-making, pre-dominantly using isolated sensory stimuli, and so the mechanisms that allow us to leverage multiple cues remain unclear. In two experiments, we used neuroimaging and network-targeted brain stimulation to probe how the brain integrates outcome predictions to guide adaptive behavior. We identified neural signatures of outcome integration in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) , wher e concurrently presented cues evoke stron-ger pattern-based representations of expected outcomes. Moreover , perturbing lateral OFC network activity impairs subjects' ability to leverage predictions from multiple cues to facilitate responding. Intriguingly, we found similar behavioral and brain mechanisms for reward-predicting cues and for cues predicting the absence of reward. These findings highlight a causal role for the lateral OFC in utilizing outcome predictions from multiple cues to guide behavior.

Automated summary

This study used neuroimaging and brain stimulation to investigate how the brain integrates outcome predictions to guide behavior. The lateral orbitofrontal cortex was found to play a crucial role in integrating outcome predictions and disrupting its network activity impaired individuals' ability to leverage predictions from multiple cues.