For a reinforcement learning perspective on some of these issues (at least b-c), I suggest: http://www.princeton.edu/~yael/Publications/DayanNiv2008.pdf

Dear Vladimir,

Churchland AK, Kiani R, Shadlen MN. (2008) Decision-making with multiple alternatives. Nat Neurosci.;11(6):693-702. Epub 2008 May 18.

found that the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) seemed to reflect accumulation of evidence, both in a two choice and a four choice task. Keep in mind that monkey studies of decision making typically have the problem that deciding is confounded with responding (in most cases with eye movements). Therefore the signal in LIP might reflect response preparation or accumulation of evidence.

Best,

Jens

For a reinforcement learning perspective on some of these issues (at least b-c), I suggest: http://www.princeton.edu/~yael/Publications/DayanNiv2008.pdf

Thank you! I'm going to read and study this now :-)

please send to me a copy of your paper "Neuroscience of decision making"

to my e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

I suggest you this reference:

Decision theory, reinforcement learning, and the brain

Peter Dayan, University College London, London, England and Nathaniel D. Daw

New York University, New York, New York

Dear Vladimir,

in response to your questions:

(a) What brain regions are associated with generating alternatives? Because, in order to have something to choose from, we first have to generate some alternatives - to create 2, 3, 5... . How is this done in the brain?

--> Regretfully, I cannot answer this question. Little research is done in decision theory about generating alternatives

(c) Is there a processing difference in choosing between 5 potential actions and just 2?

--> On the behavioral level, there is a distinct difference between choices between two or among several alternatives. With several alternatives, usually in a first step the set of alternatives is reduced to a short list, using little information. Then the remaining two/three alternatives are processed in detail.

We have recently found in several experiments on risky decision making, that mainly positive consequences are used to make the initial selection for the short list. Then, the alternatives in the short list are examined, especially whether they have negative consequences. (Huber, O., Huber, O. W., & Bär, A.S. (2011). Information Search and Mental Representation in Risky Decision Making: The Advantages First Principle. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 24: 223–248. DOI: 10.1002/bdm.674.)

(b) What structures - and based on what - determine which of the alternatives are chosen?

--> I have done only little research in neuro:

Zysset, S., Huber, O., Ferstl, E. & von Cramon, D.Y. (2002). The Anterior Fronto-Median Cortex and Evaluative Judgment: An fMRI Study. NeuroImage 15, 983-991

Evaluative judgments are a necessary component of the decision process. This experiment investigates activations in evaluative judgments (e.g., I like XY) as opposed to episodic and semantic memory retrieval (eg., XY is foreign minister of Germany). Evaluative judgment produced significant activation in the anterior frontomedian cortex (BA 10/9), the inferior precuneus (BA 23/31), and the left inferior prefrontal cortex (BA 45/47).

Zysset, S., Huber, O., Samson, A., Ferstl, E. & von Cramon, D.Y. (2003). Functional specialization within the anterior medial prefrontal cortex: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study with human subjects. Neuroscience Letters 335, 183-186

Investigated areas involved in evaluative judgment that are attention-demanding, self-referential and activate regions in the dorsal and ventral section of the aMPFC.

Zysset, S., Wendt, C. S., Volz, K.G., Neumann, J., Huber, O. and von Cramon, D.Y. (2006). The neural implementation of multi-attribute decision making: A parametric fMRI study with human subjects. NeuroImage 31, 1380-1388.

Activation of different areas in dependence of necessary decision effort was investigated.

I hope, these informations are of use to you!

Regards

Oswald

Maybe this publication from our eye tracking database helps. You just need to type in "decision-making"

http://www.smivision.com/en/gaze-and-eye-tracking-systems/support/publications.html

Involvement of human left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in perceptual decision making is independent of response modalitySearch in GoogleApplication:NeurosciencesYear:2006Authors:Heekeren, H. R., Marrett, S., Ruff, D. A., Bandettini, P. A., Ungerleider, L. G.Institutes:Institute of Health Bethesda, Max Planck Institute for Human Developement Berlin, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Science Leipzig, Charite University Medicine BerlinPublished:PNAS

From a patient's perspective. I have Arachnoiditis(ARC) and over the last 12 years have found that my short term memory function has deteriorated. This may be a result of the disease or the medications I have to take to control the pain and other symptoms, an opiate, an anti-spasmotic and a tricyclic anti-depressant. Having been a manager and administrator for the majority of my previous career I relied upon and was praised by my superiors for my excellent memory being able to recall figures, references, procedures and processes at the drop of a hat. Now I sometimes forget events in minutes, lose track of conversations and simply cannot make decisions in the way that I used to. I also run a support website for ARC with an associated Facebook Page, this short term memory loss can obviously have a deleterioius affect on my work for others when I forget to reply to an email or send material that has been requested, so I have to write endless lists of tasks in order to ensure that I remember my commitments. It is frightening, frustrating and can very often lead to tears and/or anger, so it absolutely doesn't just affect me but those who love and care for me too; distress is an appropriate descriptor but somehow does not sound strong enough. The irony of the situation is that I may lose track of the contents of a paper I have just read but remember it completely weeks later.

Dear Vladimir:

For your question, I hope that the follewed paper is helpful to you!

"Ostwald D, Porcaro C, Mayhew SD, Bagshaw AP (2012) EEG-fMRI Based Information Theoretic Characterization of the Human Perceptual Decision System. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33896. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033896."

Best regards!

Nizhuan

(a, b) some frontal lobe structures are responsible for executive function in the brain. The alternatives are created based on the input that we have received prior to the current stimulus. look into how wisconsin card sort test works and what has been concluded for more specific answer.

(c) yes. the cognitive load has a very limited capacity. all of the alternative options have to be considered, thus increasing the cognitive load, making it harder to make an optimal choice. it also depends on if the choices for actions are always present or not, and which sense they are providing stimuli for (visual, auditory etc.).

In critical thinking, many parts of the brain are involved. Maybe you can find the image of fMRI or PET of some one who are in chess competition.

I found this recent article you can review

Theneurobiologyofdecision-makingandresponsibility:Reconcilingmechanismandmindedness

MichaelN.Shadlen1* andAdinaL.Roskies2

HYPOTHESISANDTHEORYARTICLE

published: 23April2012

doi: 10.3389/fnins.2012.00056

I red the above abstract. But I still can not imagine how the research is conducted. Maybe because I have no experience at all in this field. I am sorry. I have no comment.

You may read the papers of Michael Shadlen on decision making. A good start is "Neurobiology of Decision Making", M. Shadlen, R. Kiani, T. Hanks, and A. Churchland, published in Strüngmann Forum Report: Better Than Conscious?

Decision Making, the Human Mind, and Implications For Institutions. It can be freely download from Shadlen's page

Thank you.