Cited by 3,764Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesDecision-Making and Behavioral EconomicsNeural dynamics and brain function

The Neural Basis of Decision Making

Gold, Joshua I., Shadlen, Michael N.·2007·Annual Review of Neuroscience

Abstract

The study of decision making spans such varied fields as neuroscience, psychology, economics, statistics, political science, and computer science. Despite this diversity of applications, most decisions share common elements including deliberation and commitment. Here we evaluate recent progress in understanding how these basic elements of decision formation are implemented in the brain. We focus on simple decisions that can be studied in the laboratory but emphasize general principles likely to extend to other settings.

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Crossref · 10.1146/annurev.neuro.29.051605.113038

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246 of 246 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The role of the prefrontal cortex appears to shift through the stages of the addiction cycle, with ventral and medial prefrontal regions activated during intoxication and craving and decreased activity in these regions and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during withdrawal.

    “The role of the prefrontal cortex appears to shift through the stages of the addiction cycle, such that the ventral and medial prefrontal cortex, including the orbitofrontal cortex and the dor sal anterior cingulate cortex (regions involved with salience attri bution), are activated during the intoxication and craving stages. In contrast, the withdrawal stage is associated with a decreased activ”
  • Internal decision variables are accumulated as ramping neural activity and transformed into a decision when a decision boundary is reached.

    “Here, close to the top of the cortical hierarchy, internal decision variables (DV) are accumulated in a form of ramping neural activity (3–6) that is transformed into a decision when a decision boundary is reached (7).”
  • The neural activity ramp during epoch 4 is consistent with a bounded integration mechanism of decision-making.

    “In what follows we argue the neural activity ramp during epoch 4 is consistent with a bounded integration mechanism of decision-making (3–5, 7).”
  • In the standard drift-diffusion model, a decision variable accumulates sensory evidence with stochastic noise and produces a decision at reaction time when it reaches either the upper or lower bound.

    “A DV in standard drift-diffusion model (DDM) (3–5, 7) (Fig. 4A) accumulates sensory evidence (drift), accompanied by stochastic internal or sensory noise (diffusion) that, when reaches either upper (correct trials) or lower (error trials) bound, produces a decision at RT.”
  • The choice at initiation and reaction times as a function of task difficulty (coherence of dot motion) were explained by a bounded drift-diffusion model consistent with previous studies in humans and monkeys.

    “The choice at initiation (initial hand trajectory) and reaction times as a function of task difficulty (coherence of dot motion) were explained by a bounded drift-diffusion model (Fig. 2, black curves) consistent with previous studies in humans and monkeys1,9,14.”

    From Changes of mind in decision-making (2009) · cites this paper as [1]

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Authors
Gold, J. I., & Shadlen, M. N.
Affiliations
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
Venue
Annual Review of Neuroscience
Published
2007-07-01
Volume
30
Issue
1
Pages
535-574
ISSN
  • 0147-006X (ISSN-L)
  • 1545-4126
OpenAlex
W2169134378
Cited by
3,764
References
247
Citations by year
2026: 226 · 2025: 239 · 2024: 242 · 2023: 223 · 2022: 240 · 2021: 216 · 2020: 244 · 2019: 249 · 2018: 235 · 2017: 194 · 2016: 195 · 2015: 240 · 2014: 224 · 2013: 179 · 2012: 188
FWCI
6.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Annual Review of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
Keywords
decision-making, neural basis of decision making, deliberation, commitment, brain circuits
MeSH terms
Animals, Brain, Cognition, Decision Making, Humans, Models, Neurological, Movement, Perception, Psychomotor Performance, Psychophysics, Volition

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