Ventromedial frontal cortex mediates affective shifting in humans: evidence from a reversal learning paradigm

• Published in: Brain (London, England : 1878) Vol. 126; no. 8; pp. 1830 - 1837
• Main Authors: Fellows, Lesley K., Farah, Martha J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.08.2003; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Damage, Chronic - pathology; Brain Damage, Chronic - physiopathology; Brain Damage, Chronic - psychology; CTL = age‐ and education‐matched control subjects; Decision Making; DLF = dorsolateral frontal; Female; fMRI = functional MRI; Frontal Lobe - pathology; Frontal Lobe - physiopathology; frontal lobes; Humans; IADL = Instrumental Activities of Daily Living; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); lesion; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; MNI = Montreal Neurological Institute; Nervous system; Neuropsychological Tests; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; Prefrontal Cortex - pathology; Prefrontal Cortex - physiopathology; Reinforcement (Psychology); Reversal Learning; reward; ventromedial prefrontal cortex; VLF = ventrolateral prefrontal; VMF = ventromedial frontal; Learning; Human; Acquisition process; Paradigm; Decision making; Central nervous system; Frontal cortex; Prefrontal cortex; Reward; Flexibility; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0006-8950; 1460-2156; 1460-2156
• DOI: 10.1093/brain/awg180

How do the frontal lobes support behavioural flexibility? One key element is the ability to adjust responses when the reinforcement value of stimuli change. In monkeys, this ability—a form of affective shifting known as reversal learning—depends on orbitofrontal cortex. The present study examines the anatomical bases of reversal learning in humans. Subjects with lesions of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex were compared with a group with dorsolateral frontal lobe damage, as well as with normal controls on a simple reversal learning task. Neither form of frontal damage affected initial stimulus–reinforcement learning; ventromedial frontal damage selectively impaired reversal learning.