Not all effort is equal: the role of the anterior cingulate cortex in different forms of effort-reward decisions.

ABSTRACT: The rat anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) mediates effort-based decision making when the task requires the physical effort of climbing a ramp. Normal rats will readily climb a barrier leading to high reward whereas rats with ACC lesions will opt instead for an easily obtained small reward. The present study explored whether the role of ACC in cost-benefit decisions extends beyond climbing by testing its role in ramp climbing as well as two novel cost-benefit decision tasks, one involving the physical effort of lifting weights and the other the emotional cost of overcoming fear (i.e., "courage"). As expected, rats with extensive ACC lesions tested on a ramp-climbing task were less likely to choose a high-reward/high-effort arm than sham controls. However, during the first few trials, lesioned

SUBMITTER: Holec V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3904092 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature