Study Provides Deeper Insight Over Brain Part That Drives Decision-Making

Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University in Japan have provided a deeper insight over how brain is involved in the process of crucial decision making. They revealed that a key part of the brain involved with decision making, the striatum, appears to operate hierarchically - much like a traditional corporation with executives, middle managers and employees.

The striatum is a part of the basal ganglia, the inner core of the brain that processes decisions and movements. Previous studies have shown that the three regions of the striatum - ventral, dorsomedial and dorsolateral - have very distinct roles in motivation, adaptive decisions and routine actions, respectively. But, now OIST researchers found that these parts do not operate in isolation, but work together in a coordinated hierarchy, like a traditional company with executives making decisions, delegating to middle managers and employees carrying out specific tasks.