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Dynamic decision making in the brain

Nature Neuroscience volume 15, pages 341–342 (2012)Cite this article

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How do we make decisions? A study uses MEG to provide the spatial as well as the temporal resolution needed to answer this question, together with computational modeling, which allows for complex non-linear decision models. This work helps resolve some of the seemingly contradictory results from previous work.

What happens when we decide between two different routes on our morning commute or two different meals at lunch? How do we weigh costs and benefits against one another and do so in a way that minimizes mental effort and regret? For economists, psychologists and others who study decision making, these questions form the heart of the science of choice. For neuroscientists, such concerns inform the study of neural circuit dynamics that translate sensory inputs into behavior. What we refer to as the decision occurs between these inputs and behavioral outputs, and any neurobiologically complete account of this process must explain the flow of information from one set of neurons to the next, from retina to eye movement or cochlear hair cell to button press.

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Figure 1: Schematic for analysis of decision-making dynamics in the brain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA

    John Pearson & Michael L Platt

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  1. John Pearson
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  2. Michael L Platt
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Correspondence to Michael L Platt.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Pearson, J., Platt, M. Dynamic decision making in the brain. Nat Neurosci 15, 341–342 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3049

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