Error-rate-related caudate and parietal cortex activation during decision making.

The role of cortical and subcortical structures in processing success or failure in decision-making situations is unclear. Functional neuroimaging (fMRI) during a two-choice prediction task was used to investigate the relationship between error-rate-related behavioral changes during decision-making and activation patterns in the caudate and parietal cortex. Success-related activation was found in caudate and parietal cortex during a two-choice prediction task. At low error rates, participants utilized success-related behavioral strategies rate by decreasing switching responses and increasing response predictability, which were associated with activation changes in the caudate and parietal cortex. Therefore, less response switching and increased response predictability during decision making can be directly related to the degree of activation in the caudate and posterior parietal cortex.