Causal role of the inferolateral prefrontal cortex in balancing goal-directed and habitual control of behavior

TY - JOUR

T1 - Causal role of the inferolateral prefrontal cortex in balancing goal-directed and habitual control of behavior

AU - Bogdanov, Mario

AU - Timmermann, Jan E

AU - Gläscher, Jan

AU - Hummel, Friedhelm C

AU - Schwabe, Lars

PY - 2018/6/20

Y1 - 2018/6/20

N2 - Successful adaptation to complex environments depends on the balance of at least two systems: a flexible but slow goal-directed system encoding action-outcome associations and an efficient but rigid habitual system linking responses to preceding stimuli. Recent evidence suggests that the inferolateral prefrontal cortex (ilPFC), a region well known to contribute to cognitive control processes, may play a crucial role in the balance of goal-directed and habitual responding. This evidence, however, comes mainly from correlational data and whether the ilPFC is indeed causally involved in the goal-directed vs. habitual control of behavior is unclear. Here, we used neuro-navigated theta-burst stimulation (TBS) to either inhibit or enhance right ilPFC functionality before participants completed an instrumental learning task designed to probe goal-directed vs. habitual behavioral control. TBS did not affect overall learning performance. However, participants that had received inhibitory TBS were less able to adapt their behavior to altered task demands, indicating a shift from goal-directed towards more habitual control of behavior. Sham or excitatory TMS groups showed no such effect and were comparable in their performance to an unstimulated control group. Our findings indicate a causal role of the ilPFC in the balance of goal-directed vs. habitual control of behavior.

AB - Successful adaptation to complex environments depends on the balance of at least two systems: a flexible but slow goal-directed system encoding action-outcome associations and an efficient but rigid habitual system linking responses to preceding stimuli. Recent evidence suggests that the inferolateral prefrontal cortex (ilPFC), a region well known to contribute to cognitive control processes, may play a crucial role in the balance of goal-directed and habitual responding. This evidence, however, comes mainly from correlational data and whether the ilPFC is indeed causally involved in the goal-directed vs. habitual control of behavior is unclear. Here, we used neuro-navigated theta-burst stimulation (TBS) to either inhibit or enhance right ilPFC functionality before participants completed an instrumental learning task designed to probe goal-directed vs. habitual behavioral control. TBS did not affect overall learning performance. However, participants that had received inhibitory TBS were less able to adapt their behavior to altered task demands, indicating a shift from goal-directed towards more habitual control of behavior. Sham or excitatory TMS groups showed no such effect and were comparable in their performance to an unstimulated control group. Our findings indicate a causal role of the ilPFC in the balance of goal-directed vs. habitual control of behavior.

KW - Adult

KW - Conditioning, Operant/physiology

KW - Double-Blind Method

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

KW - Male

KW - Prefrontal Cortex/physiology

KW - Psychomotor Performance/physiology

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1038/s41598-018-27678-6

DO - 10.1038/s41598-018-27678-6

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 29925889

VL - 8

SP - 9382

JO - SCI REP-UK

JF - SCI REP-UK

SN - 2045-2322

IS - 1

ER -