Selective engagement of the primate orbitofrontal cortex during value-based but not perceptual decisions

Abstract

A fundamental question in neuroscience is whether the brain uses specialized sub-systems for different types of decisions or relies on a unified decision-making network. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) provides an ideal test case for this question: it has a well-established role in value-based decisions but it remains unknown whether this reflects functional specialization or participation in a broader, general decision network. To distinguish between these possibilities, we used Neuropixels to monitor large ensembles of OFC neurons as a monkey performed both value-based and perceptual decision tasks. Consistent with prior reports, OFC was robustly engaged during value-based decisions. In contrast, OFC was minimally engaged during perceptual decisions, with no significant encoding of task parameters at either the single neuron or population level. This highlights the functional specialization of the OFC for value-based decisions and suggests that the different cognitive demands underlying different types of decisions recruit distinct neural circuits.