The striatum and decision-making based on value

Abstract

Our behaviors range from mindful, deliberative streams of action to sequences of action that are so nearly automatic that we can perform them almost without thinking. Transitions between these modes of behavior occur as we learn behavioral routines. We have studied these transitions and the neural activity that occurs in corticostriatal loops as they take place. We find that neural activity in these loops is strongly modified during habit learning and that specific corticostriatal circuits can powerfully control value-based decision-making and habits.