The neural basis of effort valuation: A meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies

Abstract

Choosing how much effort to expend is a critical for everyday decisions. While effort-based decision-making is altered in common psychopathologies and many neuroimaging studies have been conducted to examine how effort is valued, it remains unclear where the brain processes effort-related costs and integrates them with rewards. Using meta-analyses of combined maps and coordinates of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies (total N = 22), we showed that raw effort demands consistently activated the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA). In contrast, the net value of effortful reward consistently activated regions, such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and ventral striatum (VS), that have been previously implicated in value integration in other cost domains. The opposite activation patterns of the pre-SMA and vmPFC imply a double dissociation of these two regions, in which the pre-SMA is involved in pure effort cost representation and the vmPFC in net value integration. These findings advance our understanding of the neural basis of effort-related valuation and reveal potential brain targets to treat motivation-related disorders.