Cited by 166Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesMemory and Neural Mechanisms

The nucleus accumbens as a nexus between values and goals in goal-directed behavior: a review and a new hypothesis

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Mannella, Francesco, Gurney, Kevin, Baldassarre, Gianluca·2013·Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience

Abstract

Goal-directed behavior is a fundamental means by which animals can flexibly solve the challenges posed by variable external and internal conditions. Recently, the processes and brain mechanisms underlying such behavior have been extensively studied from behavioral, neuroscientific and computational perspectives. This research has highlighted the processes underlying goal-directed behavior and associated brain systems including prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia and, in particular therein, the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). This paper focusses on one particular process at the core of goal-directed behavior: how motivational value is assigned to goals on the basis of internal states and environmental stimuli, and how this supports goal selection processes. Various biological and computational accounts have been given of this problem and of related multiple neural and behavior phenomena, but we still lack an integrated hypothesis on the generation and use of value for goal selection. This paper proposes an hypothesis that aims to solve this problem and is based on this key elements: (a) amygdala and hippocampus establish the motivational value of stimuli and goals; (b) prefrontal cortex encodes various types of action outcomes; (c) NAcc integrates different sources of value, representing them in terms of a common currency with the aid of dopamine, and thereby plays a major role in selecting action outcomes within prefrontal cortex. The "goals" pursued by the organism are the outcomes selected by these processes. The hypothesis is developed in the context of a critical review of relevant biological and computational literature which offer it support. The paper shows how the hypothesis has the potential to integrate existing interpretations of motivational value and goal selection.

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  • The dorsolateral striatum is more involved in stimulus-response learning and habitual control, the dorsomedial striatum is linked to action-outcome learning and goal-directed action, and ventral striatum to Pavlovian values.

    “For example, the dorsolateral striatum is thought to be more involved in stimulus-response learning and habitual control, the dorsomedial striatum has been linked to action-outcome learning and goal-directed action, and ventral striatum to Pavlovian values (Glascher et al., 2010, Liljeholm and O’Doherty, 2012, Mannella et al., 2013, O’Doherty et al., 2004).”

    From Active Inference, homeostatic regulation and adaptive behavioural control (2015) · cites this paper as Mannella et al., 2013

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Authors
Mannella, F., Gurney, K., & Baldassarre, G.
Affiliations
  • National Research Council (IT)
  • University of Sheffield (GB)
Corresponding author
Mannella, Francesco
Venue
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
Published
2013
Volume
7
Pages
135-135
ISSN
1662-5153 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2165106227
Cited by
166
References
217
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 7
FWCI
4.09
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • European Commission (231722)
  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/I009310/1)
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
nucleus accumbens, goal-directed behavior, motivational value, value-based decision making, goal selection, dopamine, amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, value integration

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