The amygdala and the pursuit of future rewards

Frontiers in Neuroscience, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 18

Published: Jan. 22, 2025

The successful pursuit of future rewards requires forming an internal goal, followed by planning, decision-making, and progress-tracking over multiple steps. initial step—forming goals the plans for obtaining them—involves subjective valuation anticipated reward, considering both reward’s properties associated delay physical-effort costs. Recent findings indicate individuals similarly evaluate cognitive effort time ( Johnson Most, 2023 ). Success failure in these processes have been linked to differential life outcomes psychiatric conditions. Here we review evidence from single-neuron recordings neuroimaging studies that implicate amygdala—a brain structure long with cue-reactivity emotion—in decision-making planned Grabenhorst et al., 2012 , 2016 2019 ; Hernadi 2015 Zangemeister main are that, behavioral tasks which can be pursued through planning stepwise amygdala neurons prospectively encode value related plans. Moreover, predict choices pursue rewards, signal progress toward goals, distinguish internally generated (i.e., self-determined) externally imposed actions. Importantly, integrate a reward costs inherent pursuing it. This neural identifies three key computations primate underlie rewards: (1) self-determined goal based on reward-cost valuations, (2) defining plan (3) executing this progress-tracking. Based framework, suggest constitute vulnerabilities dysfunction contribute maladaptive Consequently, may also represent potential targets behavioral-change interventions aim improve individual decision-making.

Language: Английский

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Value coding by primate amygdala neurons complies with economic choice theory

Published: April 20, 2025

ABSTRACT Primate amygdala neurons are implicated in coding the value of choice options for decision-making. However, it remains unclear whether signals comply with notion that decision makers maximize rewards, as formalized by key axioms economic theory. In particular, continuity axiom Expected Utility Theory (EUT) postulates reward maximization is reflected a trade-off between probability and magnitude. Our experiment tested this two male macaque monkeys who subjectively ranked three gambles choices, thus revealing their subjective value. Axiom compliance was defined indifference intermediate gamble probabilistic combination other gambles. We found animals’ choices safe integration magnitude into scalar values consistent axiom. non-choice task, responses individual to separate cues monkeys’ preferences: neuronal were lower non-preferred (relative options), higher preferred equal at options. integrated preferences. some neurons, transitioned monkey’s chosen values. These findings identify substrates encoding behavior-matching according EUT, translating these choices. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The amygdala—a brain structure temporal lobe—has long been associated emotional responses. More recently, primate have Here we show respond visual indicating manner reflects variables Importantly, complied Beyond valuation, processed predictive Dysfunctional processing could play role psychiatric behavioral disorders affecting mental health, which implicated.

Language: Английский

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Homelessness, Discrimination, PTSD, Autism, and the Amygdala

American Journal of Psychiatry, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 181(12), P. 1029 - 1032

Published: Dec. 1, 2024

Language: Английский

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