Overcoming status quo bias in the human brain.

摘要: Humans often accept the status quo when faced with conflicting choice alternatives. However, it is unknown how neural pathways connecting cognition action modulate this acceptance. Here we developed a visual detection task in which subjects tended to favor default making difficult, but not easy, decisions. This bias was suboptimal that more errors were made accepted. A selective increase subthalamic nucleus (STN) activity found rejected face of heightened decision difficulty. Analysis effective connectivity showed inferior frontal cortex, region active for difficult decisions, exerted an enhanced modulatory influence on STN during switches away from quo. These data suggest circuits required initiate controlled, nondefault actions are similar those previously shown mediate outright response suppression. We conclude specific prefrontal-basal ganglia dynamics involved rejecting default, mechanism may be important range scenarios.