Brain’s Hidden Circuitry for Risk and Reward Uncovered

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https://neurosciencenews.com/risk-reward-decisions-neuroscience-28437/

February 20, 2025

The study suggests that the brain tracks a full range of possible rewards, rather than just an average, which aligns with machine-learning models of decision-making. If confirmed in humans, the findings could explain difficulties in assessing risks seen in conditions like depression and addiction. Future research will explore how uncertainty influences this brain circuitry.

Key Facts:

● Two Neural Groups: One group processes better-than-expected outcomes, while another tracks worse-than-expected ones.

● Decision-Making Mechanism: The brain represents a full spectrum of possible rewards, not just averages.

● Potential Clinical Impact: Findings could help explain impaired risk assessment in conditions like depression and addiction.

Every day, our brain makes thousands of decisions, big and small. Any of these decisions — from the least consequential such as picking a restaurant to the more important such as pursuing a different career or moving to a new city — may result in better or worse outcomes. 

How does the brain gauge risk and reward in making these calls? The answer to this question continues to puzzle scientists, but a new study carried out by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Harvard University offers intriguing clues.

The full article is available via the link  ...

These two groups of brain cells work together to form a representation of the full distribution of potential rewards for a decision. Credit: Neuroscience News