Anterior cingulate is a source of valence-specific information about value and uncertainty

Summary

Expectations of rewards and punishments can promote similar behavioral states, such as vigilance, as well as distinct behavioral states, such as approach or avoidance. However, the cortical circuits that underlie this behavioral diversity are poorly understood. In a Pavlovian procedure in which monkeys displayed a diverse repertoire of reward, punishment, and uncertainty related behaviors not mandated by the task, I show that many anterior-cingulate (ACC) neurons represent expected value and uncertainty in a valence-specific manner, for example about either rewards or punishments. This flexibility may facilitate the top-down control of many reward- and punishment-related actions and behavioral states.