Dorsomedial and ventromedial prefrontal cortex lesions differentially impact social influence and temporal discounting

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003079
• Publication Date: 2025-04-28T17:43:57Z
• Authors: Zhilin Su; Mona M. Garvert; Lei Zhang; Todd A. Vogel; Jo Cutler; Masud Husain; Sanjay G. Manohar; Patricia L. Lockwood
• Keywords: Ventromedial prefrontal cortex; Ventral striatum; Temporal discounting; Frontal lobe; Intertemporal choice; Orbitofrontal cortex

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has long been associated with economic and social decision-making in neuroimaging studies. Several debates question whether different ventral mPFC (vmPFC) dorsal (dmPFC) regions have specific functions or there is a gradient supporting nonsocial cognition. Here, we tested an unusually large sample of rare participants focal damage to the ( N = 33), individuals lesions elsewhere 17), healthy controls 71) (total 121). Participants completed temporal discounting task estimate their baseline preferences before learning two other people, one who was more temporally impulsive patient. We used Bayesian computational models susceptibility influence after others’ preferences. increased compared overall those elsewhere. Importantly, voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) parameters showed that this heightened attributed specifically dmPFC (area 9; permutation-based threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE) p < 0.025). In contrast, vmPFC (areas 13 25) striatum were preference for seeking immediate rewards (permutation-based TFCE 0.05). show causally implicated influence, distinct portions involved discounting. These findings provide causal evidence sub-regions underpinning fundamental cognitive processes.