Fractionating the functions of primate ventromedial prefrontal cortex of relevance to depression. (360G-Wellcome-108089_Z_15_Z)

I wish to understand how the primate ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) contributes to the regulation of positive and negative emotion. Specific questions are: What are the cognitive functions of these regions relevant to emotion regulation? How do they interact in decision-making to bias behavioural choices? How is that interaction instantiated in cortico-cortical and cortico-subcortical neural circuits? Are these neurocognitive circuits differentially modulated by current pharmacotherapies of depression and how is the balance of control between cortical and subcortical nodes in these circuits modulated by the monoamines? How is the development of these circuits influenced by genetic risk factors for neuropsychiatric disorders? Answers to these questions will inform our understanding of the aetiology and neural basis of the diverse symptoms of depression and guide personalized treatment strategies.