Reward and Decision Making: Opportunities and Future Directions | Neuron

Reward is a psychological concept linked to the hedonic properties of stimulation—the liking, wanting, and approach to stimuli. Reward is fundamental to the organization of behavior, and its neurobiological analysis involves processes as distinct as emotional expression, the organization of behavior sequences, selection of appropriate responses, and decision making. This area of research, illustrated in the articles of this special issue, encompasses a broad range of complex behavioral issues, as well as a spectrum of brain systems. Frequent topics are the amygdala, striatal-cortical interactions, and dopaminergic and cholinergic signaling. Other brain systems, such as those regulating arousal and attention, are almost certainly involved in reward and decision making and are understudied in this context. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) recognizes this area of research as an essential component of its activities directed toward understanding the etiology and pathophysiology of mood disorders and other mental and behavioral disorders. Research support for this area emanates from several major NIMH basic research program areas, including molecular, genetic, systems, cognitive, and clinical neuroscience, as well as behavioral science.