Functional neural networks in behavioral motivations

Abstract

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an effective non-invasive tool for exploration and analysis of brain functions. Here functional neural networks involved in behavioral motivations are studied using fMRI. It was found that behavioral conditions producing different motivations for action can be associated with different patterns of functional network activity. At the same time, connection can be made to dynamics of socio-emotional cognition, decision making and action control, described by the Virtual Actor model based on the eBICA cognitive architecture. These preliminary observations encourage further fMRI-based study of human social-emotional cognition. The impact is expected on the emergent technology of humanlike collaborative robots (cobots) and creative cognitive assistants.