Make good choices

The daily choices we make are guided by internal and external factors that determine the value of potential courses of action.

Mesolimbic and mesocortical circuits direct behavior and evaluate outcomes. These circuits are sensitive to physiological state, associative learning, and reward parameters. Their function can be altered by challenges to development commonly experienced in adolescence, resulting in subsequent reinforcer pathology and maladaptive choices. We examine how internal and external factors affect neural function and look for targets to modulate neural activity to improve choices.