Cited by 517Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesMemory and Neural Mechanisms

Neural coding of basic reward terms of animal learning theory, game theory, microeconomics and behavioural ecology

Schultz, Wolfram·2004·Current Opinion in Neurobiology

Abstract

Neurons in a small number of brain structures detect rewards and reward-predicting stimuli and are active during the expectation of predictable food and liquid rewards. These neurons code the reward information according to basic terms of various behavioural theories that seek to explain reward-directed learning, approach behaviour and decision-making. The involved brain structures include groups of dopamine neurons, the striatum including the nucleus accumbens, the orbitofrontal cortex and the amygdala. The reward information is fed to brain structures involved in decision-making and organisation of behaviour, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and possibly the parietal cortex. The neural coding of basic reward terms derived from formal theories puts the neurophysiological investigation of reward mechanisms on firm conceptual grounds and provides neural correlates for the function of rewards in learning, approach behaviour and decision-making.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.conb.2004.03.017

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Authors
Schultz, W.
Affiliations
University of Cambridge (GB)
Corresponding author
Schultz, Wolfram
Venue
Current Opinion in Neurobiology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2004-04
Volume
14
Issue
2
Pages
139-147
ISSN
0959-4388 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2105808200
Cited by
517
References
67
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 28
FWCI
3.77
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Current Opinion in Neurobiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Wellcome Trust (095495)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Keywords
reward coding, reward prediction, dopaminergic neurons, nucleus accumbens, orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, decision-making, approach behavior, behavioral ecology, game theory, microeconomics, neural correlates of reward
MeSH terms
Animals, Behavior, Animal, Brain, Decision Making, Economics, Game Theory, Humans, Learning, Neurons, Reward

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