Orbitofrontal reality filtering

Decades of research have deepened our understanding of how the brain forms memories and uses them to build our mental past and future. But how does it determine whether an evoked memory refers to the present and can be acted upon? The study of patients who confuse reality, as evident from confabulat...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Armin eSchnider
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2013-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00067/full
Description
Summary:Decades of research have deepened our understanding of how the brain forms memories and uses them to build our mental past and future. But how does it determine whether an evoked memory refers to the present and can be acted upon? The study of patients who confuse reality, as evident from confabulation and disorientation, has opened ways to explore this vital capacity. Results indicate that the brain recurs to a phylogenetically old faculty of the orbitofrontal cortex –extinction– and structures of the reward system to keep thought and behavior in phase with reality.
ISSN:1662-5153