Decision-making

Recent articles

Attention not necessary for visual awareness, large study suggests

People can perceive some visual information even if they do not pay direct attention to it.

By Kristel Tjandra
1 July 2025 | 5 min read
Research image of mouse brain slices.

Some dopamine neurons signal default behaviors to reinforce habits

Movement-sensing neurons that target the striatum influence a mouse’s choice of action by favoring routine.

By Holly Barker
11 June 2025 | 5 min listen
Conceptual illustration of four heads studying representations of neural mechanisms.

This paper changed my life: Marino Pagan recalls a decision-making study from four titans in the field

Valerio Mante and David Sussillo, along with their mentors Krishna Shenoy and Bill Newsome, revealed the complexity of neural population dynamics and the power of recurrent neural networks.

By Marino Pagan
13 May 2025 | 7 min listen
Multicolored illustration of a human brain as seen from the top down.

Most neurons in mouse cortex defy functional categories

The majority of cells in the cerebral cortex are unspecialized, according to an unpublished analysis—and scientists need to take care in naming neurons, the researchers warn.

By Holly Barker
7 January 2025 | 5 min read
Illustration of cranes attempting to assemble a structure out of very small black squares.

In case you missed it: Standout news stories from 2024

These five stories—on the pregnant brain, a failed imaging method and more—top our list of some of the most notable neuroscience research findings this year.

By The Transmitter
23 December 2024 | 2 min read
Research image of mouse brain scans.

Widely distributed brain areas sync to orchestrate decisions in rodents

Multiple brain areas synchronize their activity to help a rodent accumulate the evidence it needs to make a choice, two new studies suggest.

By Claudia López Lloreda
29 October 2024 | 7 min read
Illustration of a mouse with cheese on its left and a drop of water on its right.

Should I stay (and eat) or should I go? How the brain balances hunger with competing drives

Understanding the interplay among rival signals, such as pain, thirst and fear, could provide insights into anxiety and other neuropsychiatric conditions.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
11 October 2024 | 8 min read
Illustration of cranes attempting to assemble a structure out of very small black squares.

Reconstructing dopamine’s link to reward

The field is grappling with whether to modify the long-standing theory of reward prediction error—or abandon it entirely.

By Angie Voyles Askham
13 September 2024 | 20 min listen
A shop rack of lab coats both white and in many distinct and colorful styles.

On fashion in neuroscience: In defense of freezing behavior

Neuroscience experiments are moving toward the analysis of more complex behaviors, enabled by increasingly sophisticated tools. But we shouldn’t abandon simpler paradigms.

By Sheena Josselyn
19 December 2023 | 6 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Xiao-Jing Wang outlines the future of theoretical neuroscience

Wang discusses why he decided the time was right for a new theoretical neuroscience textbook and how bifurcation is a key missing concept in neuroscience explanations.

By Paul Middlebrooks
2 July 2025 | 112 min listen
Overlapping speech bubbles.

Memory study sparks debate over statistical methods

Critics of a 2024 Nature paper suggest the authors failed to address the risk of false-positive findings. The authors argue more rigorous methods can result in missed leads.

By Katie Moisse
2 July 2025 | 5 min read
Research image of mouse brain slices.

Genetic testing; LSD1 inhibitors; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 30 June.

By Daisy Yuhas
1 July 2025 | 2 min read