Our brains are constantly making split-second decisions about the actions we will take, decisions that reflect both external events as well as internal states (hunger, thirst, etc.). How does the brain weigh all the factors that go into a decision, and how is this decision transformed into an appropriate behavior?
By focusing the latest technologies for visualizing and manipulating the activity of identified classes of neurons in behaving mice, Max Planck scientists are gaining new insights into the complex network interactions between multiple brain areas that are responsible for this critical brain function. Abnormalities in decision making are a common problem for patients with psychiatric disorders, making this work vitally important in identifying potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
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