Saving behavior usually requires individuals to perform several consecutive choices before collecting the final reward. The overt behavior is preceded by an intention to perform an appropriate choice sequence. We studied saving sequences for which each participant rated the intention numerically as willingness to save. Each sequence resulted in a specific reward amount and thus had a particular value for the participant, which we assessed with a Becker-DeGroot-Marschak auction-like mechanism. Using functional MRI, we found that blood-oxygen-level-dependent signals in human ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) correlated with the participant's stated intention before each choice sequence. An adjacent vmPFC region showed graded activation that reflected the value of the sequence. These results demonstrate an involvement of vmPFC in intentional processes preceding sequential economic choices.

中文翻译：

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人类腹内侧前额叶皮层的神经活动反映了保存奖励的意图。


储蓄行为通常需要个体在获得最终奖励之前进行多次连续选择。公开行为之前是执行适当选择序列的意图。我们研究了储蓄序列，每个参与者将其意图数字化地评价为储蓄意愿。每个序列都会产生特定的奖励金额，因此对参与者具有特定的价值，我们使用 Becker-DeGroot-Marschak 类似拍卖的机制对其进行评估。使用功能性 MRI，我们发现人类腹内侧前额叶皮层 (vmPFC) 中的血氧水平依赖性信号与参与者在每个选择序列之前陈述的意图相关。邻近的 vmPFC 区域显示出反映序列值的分级激活。这些结果表明 vmPFC 参与了顺序经济选择之前的有意过程。