Behavioral inhibition and prefrontal cortex in decision-making

Neural Netw. 2006 Oct;19(8):1255-65. doi: 10.1016/j.neunet.2006.05.040. Epub 2006 Sep 6.

Abstract

Every day we make innumerable decisions; some require no effort at all whereas others require considerable deliberation and weighing of various options. Despite the importance of decision-making in our lives and increased research interest, the specific neural mechanisms underlying decision-making remain unclear. We propose that the brain has at least two cortical pathways that independently generate a decision about appropriate behavior in given circumstances. These two pathways are extensions of the dorsal and ventral streams of the visual processing pathways. The parieto-premotor (extended dorsal) pathway makes decisions about motor actions in a largely autonomous and automatic fashion whereas the temporo-ventrolateral prefrontal (extended ventral) pathway is involved primarily in deliberate decisions and inhibitory control over behavior through the inhibitory function of the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior / physiology*
  • Decision Making / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Inhibition, Psychological*
  • Neural Inhibition / physiology
  • Neural Pathways / physiology
  • Prefrontal Cortex / cytology
  • Prefrontal Cortex / physiology*