A neural mechanism for terminating decisions
Open accessPublished version of a preprint
Abstract
The brain makes decisions by accumulating evidence until there is enough to stop and choose. Neural mechanisms of evidence accumulation are established in association cortex, but the site and mechanism of termination are unknown. Here, we show that the superior colliculus (SC) plays a causal role in terminating decisions, and we provide evidence for a mechanism by which this occurs. We recorded simultaneously from neurons in the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) and SC while monkeys made perceptual decisions. Despite similar trial-averaged activity, we found distinct single-trial dynamics in the two areas: LIP displayed drift-diffusion dynamics and SC displayed bursting dynamics. We hypothesized that the bursts manifest a threshold mechanism applied to signals represented in LIP to terminate the decision. Consistent with this hypothesis, SC inactivation produced behavioral effects diagnostic of an impaired threshold sensor and prolonged the buildup of activity in LIP. The results reveal the transformation from deliberation to commitment.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
A single latent variable dominating population dimensionality during the choice period may reflect a linearly increasing decision variable (DV) that is reset at the end of epoch 4 when the decision is reached and executed.
“Thus, a single latent variable dominating population dimensionality during choice period (Fig. 2M) may reflect a linearly increasing DV that is reset at the end of epoch 4 when the decision is reached and executed (50).”
From Neural correlates of perceptual decision-making in the primary somatosensory cortex (2026) · cites this paper as [50]
The Results section ('Single-trial analyses reveal different dynamical processes in LIP and SC'; page not available) describes ramp-like, trial-averaged LIP activity and identifies single-trial activity with a decision variable. The Discussion says an SC threshold mechanism generates a saccade and terminates the decision. Our copy does not establish that the decision variable resets when the decision is executed; it also does not connect that mechanism to the citing paper’s single latent variable or epoch 4. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe factors that determine when to stop gathering information and commit to a final decision, as well as which options to sample from, remain an active area of investigation.
“the factors that determine when to stop gathering information and commit to a final decision, as well as which options to sample from, remain an active area of investigation1,4,9–11.”
From Interpretable abstractions of artificial neural networks predict behavior and neural activity during human information gathering (2026) · cites this paper as [10]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Brainard, D. H. (1997) · Spatial Vision · doi:10.1163/156856897x00357 · Cited by 19,308 · see citing works
The Neural Basis of Decision Making
Gold, J. I., & Shadlen, M. N. (2007) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev.neuro.29.051605.113038 · Cited by 3,764 · see citing works
Self-citationRoitman, J. D., & Shadlen, M. N. (2002) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.22-21-09475.2002 · Cited by 1,589 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Two rhesus monkeys performed a reaction-time (free response) version of a commonly used motion discrimination task.(6,15) The task requires the monkey to decide the net direction— left or right—of a small patch of dynamic random dots (Figure 1A).”
BackgroundMethodSelf-citationNeuronal correlates of a perceptual decision
Newsome, W. T., Britten, K. H., & Movshon, J. A. (1989) · Nature · doi:10.1038/341052a0 · Cited by 1,177 · see citing works
Neural Control of Voluntary Movement Initiation
Hanes, D. P., & Schall, J. D. (1996) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.274.5286.427 · Cited by 1,145 · see citing works
Psychology and neurobiology of simple decisions
Smith, P. L., & Ratcliff, R. (2004) · Trends in Neurosciences · doi:10.1016/j.tins.2004.01.006 · Cited by 1,051 · see citing works
A relationship between behavioral choice and the visual responses of neurons in macaque MT
Britten, K. H., Newsome, W. T., Shadlen, M. N., Celebrini, S., & Movshon, J. A. (1996) · Visual Neuroscience · doi:10.1017/s095252380000715x · Cited by 1,049 · see citing works
Self-citationAttention, intention, and priority in the parietal lobe
Bisley, J. W., & Goldberg, M. E. (2010) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev-neuro-060909-152823 · Cited by 1,043 · see citing works
Memory related motor planning activity in posterior parietal cortex of macaque
Gnadt, J. W., & Andersen, R. A. (1988) · Experimental Brain Research · doi:10.1007/bf00271862 · Cited by 998 · see citing works
The Oxford Handbook of Eye Movements
Liversedge, S. P., Gilchrist, I. D., & Everling, S. (2011) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199539789.001.0001 · Cited by 874 · see citing works
Andersen, R., Asanuma, C., Essick, G., & Siegel, R. M. (1990) · The Journal of comparative neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.902960106 · Cited by 853 · see citing works
Hikosaka, O., & Wurtz, R. H. (1983) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.1983.49.5.1285 · Cited by 811 · see citing works
Population coding of saccadic eye movements by neurons in the superior colliculus
Lee, C., Rohrer, W. H., & Sparks, D. L. (1988) · Nature · doi:10.1038/332357a0 · Cited by 740 · see citing works
Hikosaka, O., & Wurtz, R. H. (1983) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.1983.49.5.1268 · Cited by 697 · see citing works
Superior Colliculus and Visual Spatial Attention
Krauzlis, R. J., Lovejoy, L. P., & Zénon, A. (2013) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev-neuro-062012-170249 · Cited by 652 · see citing works
Shared neural control of attentional shifts and eye movements
Kustov, A. A., & Robinson, D. L. (1996) · Nature · doi:10.1038/384074a0 · Cited by 637 · see citing works
Rapid innate defensive responses of mice to looming visual stimuli
Yilmaz, M., & Meister, M. (2013) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.08.015 · Cited by 611 · see citing works
A practical difference scheme for Fokker-Planck equations
Chang, J., & Cooper, G. (1970) · Journal of Computational Physics · doi:10.1016/0021-9991(70)90001-x · Cited by 556 · see citing works
Huk, A. C., & Shadlen, M. N. (2005) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.4684-04.2005 · Cited by 538 · see citing works
Self-citationDecisions in Changing Conditions: The Urgency-Gating Model
Cisek, P., Puskas, G. A., & El-Murr, S. (2009) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.1844-09.2009 · Cited by 521 · see citing works
Cortico–basal ganglia circuit mechanism for a decision threshold in reaction time tasks
Lo, C.-C., & Wang, X.-J. (2006) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn1722 · Cited by 505 · see citing works
Kiani, R., Hanks, T. D., & Shadlen, M. N. (2008) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.4761-07.2008 · Cited by 500 · see citing works
Self-citationUnix-based multiple-process system, for real-time data acquisition and control
Hays, A. V., Richmond, B. J., & Optican, L. M. (1982) · OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) · Cited by 497 · see citing works
Motor Functions of the Superior Colliculus
Gandhi, N. J., & Katnani, H. A. (2011) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev-neuro-061010-113728 · Cited by 490 · see citing works
A synaptic threshold mechanism for computing escape decisions
Evans, D. A., Stempel, A. V., Vale, R., Ruehle, S., Lefler, Y., & Branco, T. (2018) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0244-6 · Cited by 449 · see citing works
Neuron-specific contribution of the superior colliculus to overt and covert shifts of attention
Ignashchenkova, A., Dicke, P. W., Haarmeier, T., & Thier, P. (2003) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn1169 · Cited by 381 · see citing works
Elapsed Decision Time Affects the Weighting of Prior Probability in a Perceptual Decision Task
Hanks, T. D., Mazurek, M. E., Kiani, R., Hopp, E., & Shadlen, M. N. (2011) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.5613-10.2011 · Cited by 378 · see citing works
Self-citationRatcliff, R., Cherian, A., & Segraves, M. A. (2003) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.01049.2002 · Cited by 374 · see citing works
Neural Mechanisms of Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff
Heitz, R. P., & Schall, J. D. (2012) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2012.08.030 · Cited by 373 · see citing works
Microstimulation of the superior colliculus focuses attention without moving the eyes
Müller, J. R., Philiastides, M. G., & Newsome, W. T. (2004) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0408311101 · Cited by 351 · see citing works
Separate Signals for Target Selection and Movement Specification in the Superior Colliculus
Horwitz, G. D., & Newsome, W. T. (1999) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.284.5417.1158 · Cited by 346 · see citing works
Deficits in saccade target selection after inactivation of superior colliculus
McPeek, R. M., & Keller, E. L. (2004) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn1269 · Cited by 336 · see citing works
Lynch, J., Graybiel, A., & Lobeck, L. (1985) · The Journal of comparative neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.902350207 · Cited by 306 · see citing works
Lovejoy, L. P., & Krauzlis, R. J. (2009) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn.2470 · Cited by 304 · see citing works
Dissociated functional significance of decision-related activity in the primate dorsal stream
Katz, L. N., Yates, J. L., Pillow, J. W., & Huk, A. C. (2016) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature18617 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
Ding, L., & Gold, J. I. (2011) · Cerebral Cortex · doi:10.1093/cercor/bhr178 · Cited by 267 · see citing works
Ratcliff, R., Hasegawa, Y. T., Hasegawa, R. P., Smith, P. L., & Segraves, M. A. (2007) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.00393.2006 · Cited by 236 · see citing works
Attention deficits without cortical neuronal deficits
Zénon, A., & Krauzlis, R. J. (2012) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature11497 · Cited by 234 · see citing works
Stochastic models of decisions about motion direction: Behavior and physiology
Ditterich, J. (2006) · Neural Networks · doi:10.1016/j.neunet.2006.05.042 · Cited by 233 · see citing works
Unraveling circuits of visual perception and cognition through the superior colliculus
Basso, M. A., Bickford, M. E., & Cang, J. (2021) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2021.01.013 · Cited by 229 · see citing works
A neural mechanism of speed-accuracy tradeoff in macaque area LIP
Hanks, T., Kiani, R., & Shadlen, M. N. (2014) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.02260 · Cited by 222 · see citing works
Self-citationActivity of monkey frontal eye field neurons projecting to oculomotor regions of the pons
Segraves, M. A. (1992) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.1992.68.6.1967 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
Practical Bayesian Optimization for Model Fitting with Bayesian Adaptive Direct SearchPreprint
Acerbi, L., & Ma, W. J. (2017) · arXiv (Cornell University) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1705.04405 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
Monkey Posterior Parietal Cortex Neurons Antidromically Activated From Superior Colliculus
Paré, M., & Wurtz, R. H. (1997) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.1997.78.6.3493 · Cited by 203 · see citing works
Brain mechanisms for perceptual and reward-related decision-making
Deco, G., Rolls, E. T., Albantakis, L., & Romo, R. (2013) · Progress in Neurobiology · doi:10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.01.010 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
Attention as an effect not a cause
Krauzlis, R. J., Bollimunta, A., Arcizet, F., & Wang, L. (2014) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2014.05.008 · Cited by 193 · see citing works
Paré, M., & Wurtz, R. H. (2001) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.2001.85.6.2545 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Horwitz, G. D., & Newsome, W. T. (2001) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.2001.86.5.2543 · Cited by 168 · see citing works
Representation of an Abstract Perceptual Decision in Macaque Superior Colliculus
Horwitz, G. D., Batista, A. P., & Newsome, W. T. (2004) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.00872.2003 · Cited by 151 · see citing works
Posterior parietal cortex plays a causal role in perceptual and categorical decisions
Zhou, Y., & Freedman, D. J. (2019) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aaw8347 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Exploring the Superior Colliculus In Vitro
Isa, T., & Hall, W. C. (2009) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.00498.2009 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
The Anatomy and Physiology of Primate Neurons that Control Rapid Eye Movements
Moschovakis, A. K., & Highstein, S. M. (1994) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev.ne.17.030194.002341 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
Anatomical substrates of oculomotor control
Büttner‐Ennever, J. A., & Horn, A. K. E. (1997) · Current Opinion in Neurobiology · doi:10.1016/s0959-4388(97)80149-3 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Williams, A. H., Poole, B., Maheswaranathan, N., Dhawale, A. K., Fisher, T., Wilson, C. D., Brann, D. H., Trautmann, E. M., Ryu, S., Shusterman, R., et al. (2020) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2019.10.020 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Self-citationReversible Inactivation of Monkey Superior Colliculus. II. Maps of Saccadic Deficits
Quaia, C., Aizawa, H., Optican, L. M., & Wurtz, R. H. (1998) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.1998.79.4.2097 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Jun, E. J., Bautista, A. R., Nunez, M. D., Allen, D. C., Tak, J. H., Alvarez, E. T., & Basso, M. A. (2021) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/s41593-021-00878-6 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Horwitz, G. D., & Newsome, W. T. (2001) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.2001.86.5.2527 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Differentiating between integration and non-integration strategies in perceptual decision making
Stine, G. M., Zylberberg, A. D., Ditterich, J., & Shadlen, M. N. (2020) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.55365 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Self-citationDirect observation of the neural computations underlying a single decisionPreprint
Steinemann, N. A., Stine, G. M., Trautmann, E. M., Zylberberg, A., Wolpert, D. M., & Shadlen, M. N. (2023) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.90859.3 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Self-citationWhite, B. J., & Munoz, D. P. (2011) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199539789.013.0011 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Comparing frontal eye field and superior colliculus contributions to covert spatial attention
Bollimunta, A., Bogadhi, A. R., & Krauzlis, R. J. (2018) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-018-06042-2 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Direct observation of the neural computations underlying a single decisionPreprint
Steinemann, N. A., Stine, G. M., Trautmann, E. M., Zylberberg, A., Wolpert, D., & Shadlen, M. (2024) · bioRxiv · doi:10.1101/2022.05.02.490321 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy
Blackburn, S. (2008) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acref/9780199541430.001.0001 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Threshold mechanism for saccade initiation in frontal eye field and superior colliculus
Jantz, J. J., Watanabe, M., Everling, S., & Munoz, D. P. (2013) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.00611.2012 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Jeurissen, D., Shushruth, S., El-Shamayleh, Y., Horwitz, G. D., & Shadlen, M. N. (2022) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2022.03.022 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Self-citationMidbrain activity shapes high-level visual properties in the primate temporal cortex
Bogadhi, A. R., Katz, L. N., Bollimunta, A., Leopold, D. A., & Krauzlis, R. J. (2020) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2020.11.023 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Midbrain activity can explain perceptual decisions during an attention task
Herman, J. P., Katz, L. N., & Krauzlis, R. J. (2018) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/s41593-018-0271-5 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
A simple method for constructing microinjectrodes for reversible inactivation in behaving monkeys
Chen, L. L., Goffart, L., & Sparks, D. L. (2001) · Journal of Neuroscience Methods · doi:10.1016/s0165-0270(01)00354-5 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Primate superior colliculus is causally engaged in abstract higher-order cognition
Peysakhovich, B., Zhu, O., Tetrick, S. M., Shirhatti, V., Silva, A. A., Li, S., Ibos, G., Rosen, M. C., Johnston, W. J., & Freedman, D. J. (2024) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/s41593-024-01744-x · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Optimal Decisions: From Neural Spikes, through Stochastic Differential Equations, to Behavior
Holmes, P. J. (2005) · IEICE Transactions on Fundamentals of Electronics Communications and Computer Sciences · doi:10.1093/ietfec/e88-a.10.2496 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Population temporal structure supplements the rate code during sensorimotor transformations
Jagadisan, U. K., & Gandhi, N. J. (2022) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.015 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Attention-related modulation of caudate neurons depends on superior colliculus activity
Herman, J. P., Arcizet, F., & Krauzlis, R. J. (2020) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.53998 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Williams, A. H., Poole, B., Maheswaranathan, N., et al. (2019) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/661165 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Primate superior colliculus is engaged in abstract higher-order cognitionPreprint
Peysakhovich, B., Tetrick, S. M., Silva, A. A., Li, S., Zhu, O., Ibos, G., Johnston, W. J., & Freedman, D. J. (2023) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2023.01.17.524416 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Variational Bayesian Monte CarloPreprint
Acerbi, L. (2018) · arXiv (Cornell University) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1810.05558 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Variable Statistical Structure of Neuronal Spike Trains in Monkey Superior Colliculus
Cho, S.-H., Crapse, T. B., Grimaldi, P., Lau, H. C., & Basso, M. A. (2021) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.1491-20.2021 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Individual Differences and Fitting Methods for the Two- Choice Diffusion Model
Ratcliff, R. (2014) · PsycEXTRA Dataset · doi:10.1037/e528942014-126 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Author response: A neural mechanism of speed-accuracy tradeoff in macaque area LIP
Hanks, T. D., Kiani, R., & Shadlen, M. N. (2014) · doi:10.7554/elife.02260.011 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Self-citationNeural mechanisms for decisions based on sequential samples of evidence
Kira, S. (2014) · ResearchWorks at the University of Washington (University of Washington) · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Loriaux, A. L., Roitman, J. D., & Roitman, M. F. (2010) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2010.04.119
Krauzlis, R. J. (2019) · Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature · doi:10.3410/f.735735110.793562959
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- [22]Trautmann EM, Hesse JK, Stine GM, Xia R, Zhu S, O’Shea DJ, Karsh B, Colonell J, Lanfranchi FF, Vyas S, (2023). Large-scale brain-wide neural recording in nonhuman primates. Preprint at bioRxiv. 10.1101/2023.02.01.526664. PMC12229894 40551025 · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Brain-wide dynamics linking sensation to action during decision-making
Khilkevich, A., Lohse, M., Low, R. J., Oršolić, I., Božič, T., Windmill, P., & Mrsic‐Flogel, T. D. (2024) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07908-w · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Large-scale high-density brain-wide neural recording in nonhuman primates
Trautmann, E. M., Hesse, J. K., Stine, G. M., Xia, R., Zhu, S., O’Shea, D. J., Karsh, B., Colonell, J. I., Lanfranchi, F. F., Vyas, S., et al. (2025) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/s41593-025-01976-5 · Cited by 113 · see citing works
Self-citationNeural Mechanisms That Make Perceptual Decisions Flexible
Okazawa, G., & Kiani, R. (2022) · Annual Review of Physiology · doi:10.1146/annurev-physiol-031722-024731 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Direct observation of the neural computations underlying a single decisionPreprint
Steinemann, N. A., Stine, G. M., Trautmann, E. M., Zylberberg, A., Wolpert, D. M., & Shadlen, M. N. (2023) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.90859.3 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Self-citationPrimate superior colliculus is causally engaged in abstract higher-order cognition
Peysakhovich, B., Zhu, O., Tetrick, S. M., Shirhatti, V., Silva, A. A., Li, S., Ibos, G., Rosen, M. C., Johnston, W. J., & Freedman, D. J. (2024) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/s41593-024-01744-x · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Abstract deliberation by visuomotor neurons in prefrontal cortex
Charlton, J. A., & Goris, R. L. T. (2024) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/s41593-024-01635-1 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Transitions in dynamical regime and neural mode during perceptual decisions
Luo, T. Z., Kim, T. D., Gupta, D., Bondy, A., Kopec, C. D., Elliott, V. A., DePasquale, B., & Brody, C. D. (2025) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09528-4 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
A population representation of the confidence in a decision in the parietal cortex
Zylberberg, A., & Shadlen, M. N. (2025) · Cell Reports · doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115526 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Self-citationConfidence control for efficient behaviour in dynamic environments
Balsdon, T., & Philiastides, M. G. (2024) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-024-53312-3 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Transitions in dynamical regime and neural mode underlie perceptual decision-makingPreprint
Luo, T. Z., Kim, T. D., Gupta, D., Bondy, A., Kopec, C. D., Elliott, V. A., DePasquale, B., & Brody, C. D. (2023) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2023.10.15.562427 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
No Central Executive? Decision Formation Through Multi-Area Population Dynamics
Chandrasekaran, C., Gupta, D., Javadzadeh, M., Wang, T., Vivar-Lazo, M., Engel, T. A., Cisek, P., & Fetsch, C. R. (2025) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.1633-25.2025 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Multi-region coordination of evidence accumulation and decision commitment in the brainPreprint
Bondy, A., Charlton, J. A., Luo, T. Z., Kopec, C. D., Stagnaro, W. M., Venditto, S. J. C., Shi, K., Xie, E. Y., Beau, M., Lynch, L. A., et al. (2024) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2024.08.21.609044 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
How distributed is the brain-wide network that is recruited for cognition?
Rosen, M. C., & Freedman, D. J. (2025) · Nature reviews. Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/s41583-025-00992-5 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Secondary motor integration as a final arbiter in sensorimotor decision-making
Balsdon, T., Verdonck, S., Loossens, T., & Philiastides, M. G. (2023) · PLoS Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3002200 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Control Principles of Neural Dynamics Revealed by the Neurobiology of Timing
Stine, G. M., & Jazayeri, M. (2025) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev-neuro-091724-015512 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Self-citationA multi-region recurrent circuit for evidence accumulation in rats
Gupta, D., Kopec, C. D., Bondy, A., Luo, T. Z., Elliott, V. A., & Brody, C. D. (2026) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2025.12.029 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Computational mechanisms underlying latent value updating of unchosen actions
Ben-Artzi, I., Kessler, Y., Nicenboim, B., & Shahar, N. (2023) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.adi2704 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Saithongdee, A., & Sirirat, T. (2024) · Journal of Chemical Education · doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c01010 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Primate superior colliculus is engaged in abstract higher-order cognitionPreprint
Peysakhovich, B., Tetrick, S. M., Silva, A. A., Li, S., Zhu, O., Ibos, G., Johnston, W. J., & Freedman, D. J. (2023) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2023.01.17.524416 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Bayesian inference by visuomotor neurons in the prefrontal cortex
Langlois, T. A., Charlton, J. A., & Goris, R. L. T. (2025) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2420815122 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Incorporation of a Cost of Deliberation Time in Perceptual Decision Making
Kira, S., Zylberberg, A. D., & Shadlen, M. N. (2025) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.2426-24.2025 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Self-citationDiverging roles of TRPV1 and TRPM2 in warm-temperature detection
Hay, M. Y. A. E., Kamm, G. B., Tlaie, A., & Siemens, J. (2025) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.95618.4 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Rhythmic sampling of multiple decision alternatives in the human brain
Siems, M., Cao, Y., Tohidi-Moghaddam, M., Donner, T. H., & Tsetsos, K. (2026) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-026-69379-z · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Decision-making components and times revealed by the single-trial electro-encephalogramPreprint
Weindel, G., Borst, J. P., & van Maanen, L. (2025) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.108049.1 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
The geometry of the neural state space of decisionsPreprint
Monsalve‐Mercado, M. M., Stine, G. M., Shadlen, M. N., & Miller, K. D. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.01.24.634806 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Self-citationProbabilistically constrained vector summation of motion direction in the mouse superior colliculus
Li, C., DePiero, V. J., Chen, H., Tanabe, S., & Cang, J. (2025) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2024.12.029 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Wilkerson, G. B., Gullion, A. J., McMahan, K. B., Brooks, L. T., Colston, M. A., Carlson, L. M., Hogg, J. A., & Acocello, S. N. (2025) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci15070721 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Direct observation of the neural computations underlying a single decisionPreprint
Steinemann, N. A., Stine, G. M., Trautmann, E. M., Zylberberg, A., Wolpert, D. M., & Shadlen, M. N. (2023) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.90859.1 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Self-citationChoi, J. H., Bae, S., Park, J., Yoo, M., Kim, C. H., Schmitt, L. I., Tchoe, Y., Chung, D., Choi, J.-W., & Rah, J. (2025) · PLoS Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3003359 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Liu, Y., & Hu, C. (2023) · Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) · doi:10.1360/tb-2023-1080 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
The subthalamic nucleus contributes causally to perceptual decision-making in monkeys
Branam, K., Gold, J. I., & Ding, L. (2024) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.98345 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Perceptual Response Training for Reduction of Injury Risk Among High School Girls’ Soccer Players
Wilkerson, G. B., Mether, K. S., Perrin, Z. A., Emberton, S. L., Carlson, L. M., Hogg, J. A., & Acocello, S. N. (2024) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci14111091 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Heeman, J., White, B. J., der Stigchel, S. V., Theeuwes, J., Itti, L., & Munoz, D. P. (2024) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.0428-24.2024 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Misinterpreting Electrophysiology in Human Cognitive Neuroscience
Popov, T. G. (2026) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/psyp.70303 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Direct observation of the neural computations underlying a single decisionPreprint
Steinemann, N. A., Stine, G. M., Trautmann, E. M., Zylberberg, A., Wolpert, D. M., & Shadlen, M. N. (2024) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.90859.2 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Self-citationChen, S., Wanke, P. A. N., & Chuan-Peng, H. (2025) · Advances in Psychological Science · doi:10.3724/sp.j.1042.2025.2043 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Functional segregation and dynamic integration of the corticotectal descending signal in rat
Sugino, H., Tanno, S., Yoshida, T., Isomura, Y., & Hira, R. (2024) · Neuroscience Research · doi:10.1016/j.neures.2024.09.002 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
The subthalamic nucleus contributes causally to perceptual decision-making in monkeys
Branam, K., Gold, J. I., & Ding, L. (2024) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.98345.3 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Nagrodzki, J., Passamonti, L., Schweizer, S., Stretton, J., Knights, E., Henson, R. N., Cam-CAN, & Wolpe, N. (2023) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2023.03.13.532400 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Diverging roles of TRPV1 and TRPM2 in warm-temperature detectionPreprint
Hay, M. Y. A. E., Kamm, G. B., Tlaie, A., & Siemens, J. (2024) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.95618 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Neural correlates of perceptual decision-making in the primary somatosensory cortex
Armstrong, A. G., & Vlasov, Y. (2026) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2514107123 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“2M) may reflect a linearly increasing DV that is reset at the end of epoch 4 when the decision is reached and executed (50).”
Stimulus selection enhances value-modulated somatosensory processing in the superior colliculus
Chu, Y. W., Chinta, S., Keri, H. V. S., Beri, S., & Pluta, S. R. (2025) · PLoS Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3003057 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Interactions across hemispheres in prefrontal cortex reflect global cognitive processing
McDonnell, M., Umakantha, A., Williamson, R. C., Smith, M. A., & Yu, B. M. (2026) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-026-71725-0 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Kim, J., Beltramo, R., & Poort, J. (2026) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2026.01.077 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Ghosh, S., & Maunsell, J. H. R. (2026) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-026-69954-4 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Sensorimotor decisions rely on the entanglement of evidence and motor accumulation processesPreprint
Verdonck, S., Loossens, T., & Philiastides, M. G. (2022) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2022.05.16.492075 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Diverging roles of TRPV1 and TRPM2 in warm-temperature detectionPreprint
Hay, M. Y. A. E., Kamm, G. B., Tlaie, A., & Siemens, J. (2024) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.95618.1 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
The subthalamic nucleus contributes causally to perceptual decision-making in monkeysPreprint
Rogers, K. S., Gold, J. I., & Ding, L. (2024) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2024.04.09.588715 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
The superior colliculus arbitrates whole-brain dynamics for unconscious visual insightPreprint
Murata, T., Kunishige, K., Seno, S., Ohzawa, I., Kaneko, K., Yanagida, T., Haruno, M., & Hosoda, K. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.04.09.648050 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Anterior inferotemporal cortex represents decision formation and termination without rampsPreprint
Okazawa, G., & Kiani, R. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.64898/2025.12.24.696440 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
D’Ambrogio, S., Grohn, J., Khalighinejad, N., Mattar, M. G., Hunt, L., & Rushworth, M. F. S. (2026) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02342-9 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Computational mechanisms underlying latent inverse value updating of unchosen actionsPreprint
Ben-Artzi, I., Kessler, Y., Nicenboim, B., & Shahar, N. (2022) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/sxjez
Tumyalis, A. V., Ivanov, T. B., Ivanova, G. Е., Ivanova, E. A., Kirichenko, A. A., & Ossadtchi, A. E. (2024) · Journal of clinical practice · doi:10.17816/clinpract624222
The subthalamic nucleus contributes causally to perceptual decision-making in monkeysPreprint
Rogers, K. S., Gold, J. I., & Ding, L. (2024) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.98345.1
Stimulus selection drives value-modulated somatosensory processing in superior colliculusPreprint
Chu, Y. W., Chinta, S., Keri, H. V. S., Beri, S., & Pluta, S. R. (2024) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2024.06.28.601226
Dynamic integration of cortical activity in the deep layer of the anterolateral superior colliculusPreprint
Sugino, H., Tanno, S., Yoshida, T., Isomura, Y., & Hira, R. (2024) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2024.07.20.604436
Steinemann, N. A., Stine, G. M., Trautmann, E. M., et al. (2024) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.90859.2.sa1
Steinemann, N. A., Stine, G. M., Trautmann, E. M., et al. (2024) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.90859.2.sa2
eLife Assessment: Direct observation of the neural computations underlying a single decision
Donner, T. H. (2024) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.90859.2.sa3
Author response: Direct observation of the neural computations underlying a single decision
Steinemann, N. A., Stine, G. M., Trautmann, E. M., Zylberberg, A. D., Wolpert, D. M., & Shadlen, M. N. (2024) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.90859.2.sa0
Self-citationThe subthalamic nucleus contributes causally to perceptual decision-making in monkeysPreprint
Rogers, K. S., Gold, J. I., & Ding, L. (2024) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.98345.2
Diverging roles of TRPV1 and TRPM2 in warm-temperature detectionPreprint
Hay, M. Y. A. E., Kamm, G. B., Tlaie, A., & Siemens, J. (2025) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.95618.2
Closing The Loop: A Dynamic Neural Network Model Integrating Decision making and MetacognitionPreprint
Lu, W., & Wan, X. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.03.06.641797
Diverging roles of TRPV1 and TRPM2 in warm-temperature detectionPreprint
Hay, M. Y. A. E., Kamm, G. B., Tlaie, A., & Siemens, J. (2025) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.95618.3
Ghosh, S., & Maunsell, J. H. R. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.04.01.646682
Decision-making components and times revealed by the single-trial electroencephalogram
Weindel, G., Borst, J. P., & van Maanen, L. (2025) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.108049.3
Decision-making components and times revealed by the single-trial electroencephalogramPreprint
Weindel, G., Borst, J. P., & van Maanen, L. (2025) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.108049 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Minimal mean-field gated parietal circuit model for flexible perceptual decisionsPreprint
Lenfesty, B., Azimi, A., Bhattacharyya, S., Shushruth, S., & Wong‐Lin, K. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.09.09.675139
Kim, J., Beltramo, R., & Poort, J. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.09.11.675538
Disentangling decision uncertainty and motor noise in curved movement trajectories
Chapman, W. G., & Ludwig, C. J. H. (2025) · Journal of Vision · doi:10.1167/jov.25.13.6
Racing With Neurons: From Independence to Interaction
Schall, J. D. (2025) · The American Journal of Psychology · doi:10.5406/19398298.138.2.03
Decision-making components and times revealed by the single-trial electro-encephalogramPreprint
Weindel, G., Borst, J. P., & van Maanen, L. (2025) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.108049.2
Rhythmic sampling of multiple decision alternatives in the human brainPreprint
Siems, M. (2024) · OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.17605/osf.io/tf6bw
Behavioral signatures of post-decisional attention in preferential choice
Zylberberg, A. D., Krajbich, I. M., & Shadlen, M. N. (2026) · eLife · doi:10.64898/2026.01.10.698805
Self-citationHuman decision-makers terminate evidence accumulation using flexible decision rulesPreprint
Kalburge, I., Dallstream, A., Josić́, K., Kilpatrick, Z. P., Ding, L., & Gold, J. I. (2026) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.64898/2026.03.18.712662
Macaque Area LIP Reflects Confidence-Dependent Changes in Decision Policy
Tu, M. S., Vivar-Lazo, M., & Fetsch, C. R. (2026) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.64898/2026.04.27.721150
Human decision-makers terminate evidence accumulation using flexible decision rulesPreprint
Kalburge, I., Dallstream, A., Josić́, K., Kilpatrick, Z. P., Ding, L., & Gold, J. I. (2026) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.111082
Human decision-makers terminate evidence accumulation using flexible decision rulesPreprint
Kalburge, I., Dallstream, A., Josić́, K., Kilpatrick, Z. P., Ding, L., & Gold, J. I. (2026) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.111082.1
Frontal Eye Field Leads a Distributed Oculomotor Circuit for Abstract Categorical DecisionsPreprint
Zhu, O., Shirhatti, V., Davis, M. M., Xu, Y., David, S., Hauser, C. K., Doiron, B., & Freedman, D. J. (2026) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.64898/2026.06.30.735630
Behavioral Signatures of Post-Decisional Attention in Preferential ChoicePreprint
Zylberberg, A. D., Krajbich, I. M., & Shadlen, M. N. (2026) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.110729.2
Self-citationDirect codes in a distributed age
Shadlen, M. N. (2026) · Current Opinion in Neurobiology · doi:10.1016/j.conb.2026.103269
Self-citationViegas, J. (2026) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2631778123
- Authors
- Stine, G. M., Trautmann, E. M., Jeurissen, D., & Shadlen, M. N.
- Affiliations
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research (US)
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute (US)
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Shadlen, Michael N.
- Venue
- Neuron
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2023-08
- Volume
- 111
- Issue
- 16
- Pages
- 2601-2613.e5
- ISSN
- 0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC10565788
- OpenAlex
- W4381687225
- Cited by
- 83
- References
- 77
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 3
- FWCI
- 11.98
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Neuron (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Brain and Behavior Research Foundation
- Simons Foundation
- National Institutes of Health (T32 grant, R01‐grant)
- N. Bud Grossman Center for Memory Research and Care
- National Eye Institute (EY 013933, T32EY013933, F31EY032791, P30EY019007)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS113113)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- evidence accumulation, superior colliculus, lateral intraparietal area, drift-diffusion model, neuronal bursting, decision threshold, perceptual decision making, sensorimotor integration, neural inactivation, decision commitment
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cerebral Cortex, Decision Making, Macaca mulatta, Neurons
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
