Visuomotor impairments characterize numerous neurological disorders and neurogenetic syndromes, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Dravet, Fragile X, Prader–Willi, Turner, and Williams syndromes. Despite recent advances in systems neuroscience, the biological basis underlying visuomotor functional impairments associated with these clinical conditions is poorly understood. In this study, we used neuroimaging connectomic approaches to map the visuomotor integration (VMI) system in the human brain and investigated the topology approximation of the VMI network to the Allen Human Brain Atlas, a whole-brain transcriptome-wide atlas of cortical genetic expression. We found the genetic expression of four genes—TBR1, SCN1A, MAGEL2, and CACNB4—to be prominently associated with visuomotor integrators in the human cortex. TBR1 gene transcripts, an ASD gene whose expression is related to neural development of the cortex and the hippocampus, showed a central spatial allocation within the VMI system. Our findings delineate gene expression traits underlying the VMI system in the human cortex, where specific genes, such as TBR1, are likely to play a central role in its neuronal organization, as well as on specific phenotypes of neurogenetic syndromes.

Decision-making in entrepreneurs is a key aspect of their skills, but much about these processes remains unexplained. During a Stroop task, concomitant N200, P300, and N450 eventrelated potentials were measured in 25 founder entrepreneurs and in age-matched and gendermatched nonfounders/nonentrepreneurs (NFNE). Reaction times were shorter among founder entrepreneurs. The N200 was shorter and N450 larger in founder entrepreneurs. The personalities of both groups were measured using the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised. Founder entrepreneurs scored significantly higher in novelty-seeking and self-directedness dimensions, as well as in exploratory excitability, impulsiveness, optimism, eagerness, and responsibility subdimensions. Possible interactions among candidate variables to differentiate between founder entrepreneurs versus NFNE were also addressed, and the model including impulsivity, N450 latency, and impulsivity*N450 interaction came up as the best model for discrimination between founder entrepreneurs and NFNE. A shorter N200, mostly associated with bilateral supplementary motor area activation, revealed a faster capability to make decisions when information was noncongruent or blurred. However, the larger N450 revealed a more intense post-evaluation cognitive process happening in founder entrepreneurs and was accompanied by a greater activation of anterior frontal regions. The whole decision-making process consumed more time and resources in founder entrepreneurs, even if its closure was faster. Attention, memory, and alertness, among other factors, have been invoked to explain some of these differences. Founder entrepreneurs may have cognitive and heuristic differences compared with the general population.

Financial decision-making is governed by cognitive and emotional processes. However, it is possible to learn how to manage both before making a decision based on experience. Electroencephalography might provide some insight into what is behind these choices by analyzing the slow negativity preceding a risky decision, known as the decision preceding negativity (DPN). The DPN is involved in cognitive processes associated with the elaboration of the planned response as well as the anticipation of the affective motivational stimuli. Using monetary gamble under risk (outcome probabilities are known) and ambiguity (outcome probabilities are unknown), we studied the DPN in a group of investment bankers, to see if individual financial experience influences anticipatory potentials that precede choices. Our results showed that investment bankers are able to shorten their anticipatory decision-making process by having a DPN closer to motor response. As this occurs, the prefrontal and orbitofrontal brain areas under risk were activated due to the role that emotions play in financial decision-making. On the other hand, under the ambiguity condition, activation of the prefrontal areas was caused by cognitive regulation of emotion. Our conclusion is that financial experience also influences risky choices by shortening the decision-making process while balancing cognitive and emotional processes, which depend on the amount of missing information.