Comments on: The role of reward and cognitive control in decision making http://www.neurevolution.net/2007/09/24/the-role-of-reward-and-cognitive-control-in-decision-making/ Chronicling the cognitive revolution in neuroscience Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:25:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: VM http://www.neurevolution.net/2007/09/24/the-role-of-reward-and-cognitive-control-in-decision-making/#comment-4044 VM Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:12:30 +0000 http://www.neurevolution.net/2007/09/24/the-role-of-reward-and-cognitive-control-in-decision-making/#comment-4044 Its interesting that they don't cite Damasio in this review, because he has asserted for years that decision making relies on emotion (I'd lump reward processing in with this). For example, he described several individuals with focal orbitofrontal lesions who could conceive of several solutions to a complex, open-ended word problem, but could not decide on which would be the best solution. These individuals also reported a total loss of affect or emotional tone. If I recall correctly, Damasio claims that the ability to decide between possible actions relies on an "emotional" evaluation of those actions before they are performed -- i.e. the correct action "feels" right relative to the others. I think that Damasio's arguments about the specific brain structures that support this (e.g. the exact source of "somatic markers") is controversial in some circles, but I buy the dependency of decision making on emotion that he posits. Its interesting that they don’t cite Damasio in this review, because he has asserted for years that decision making relies on emotion (I’d lump reward processing in with this). For example, he described several individuals with focal orbitofrontal lesions who could conceive of several solutions to a complex, open-ended word problem, but could not decide on which would be the best solution. These individuals also reported a total loss of affect or emotional tone. If I recall correctly, Damasio claims that the ability to decide between possible actions relies on an “emotional” evaluation of those actions before they are performed — i.e. the correct action “feels” right relative to the others.

I think that Damasio’s arguments about the specific brain structures that support this (e.g. the exact source of “somatic markers”) is controversial in some circles, but I buy the dependency of decision making on emotion that he posits.

]]> By: DJ http://www.neurevolution.net/2007/09/24/the-role-of-reward-and-cognitive-control-in-decision-making/#comment-3620 DJ Sat, 06 Oct 2007 04:16:06 +0000 http://www.neurevolution.net/2007/09/24/the-role-of-reward-and-cognitive-control-in-decision-making/#comment-3620 The second author is likely the one and only Mauricio Delgado. I would never suspect him of being provocative. Well, he's a Jets fan! The second author is likely the one and only Mauricio Delgado. I would never suspect him of being provocative. Well, he’s a Jets fan!

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