A decision-space model explains context-specific decision-making
Optimal decision-making requires consideration of internal and external contexts. Biased decision-making is a transdiagnostic symptom of neuropsychiatric disorders. We created a computational model demonstrating how the striosome compartment of the striatum constructs a context-dependent mathematical space for decision-making computations, and how the matrix compartment uses this space to define action value. The model explains multiple experimental results and unifies other theories like reward prediction error, roles of the direct versus indirect pathways, and roles of the striosome versus matrix, under one framework. We also found, through new analyses, that striosome and matrix neurons increase their synchrony during difficult tasks, caused by a necessary increase in dimensionality of the space. The model makes testable predictions about individual differences in disorder susceptibility, decision-making symptoms shared among neuropsychiatric disorders, and differences in neuropsychiatric disorder symptom presentation. The model provides evidence for the central role that striosomes play in neuroeconomic and disorder-affected decision-making.
Authors
- Serina A. Batson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5367-8286)
- Kenichiro Negishi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8283-9202)
- Travis M. Moschak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5506-4891)
- Lara I. Rakocevic
- Qingyang Zhang
- Alexis A. Salcido (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1063-5902)
- Ki A. Goosens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5246-2261)
- Laura E. O’Dell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2885-4991)
- Shreeya Umashankar Beck
- Michael Pokojovy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2122-2572)
- Sabrina M. Drammis
- Sazzat Hossain (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7336-3301)
- Cory N. Heaton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0251-1371)
- Danil Tyulmankov
- Raquel J. Ibáñez Alcalá (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0440-9192)
- Neftali F. Reyes
- Atanu Giri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9691-2343)
- Alexander Friedman
- Paulina Vara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3248-9034)
- Luis D. Davila
- Graham L. Waller
- Dirk W Beck
- Andrea Y. Macias
Institutions
- University of Southern California (US)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (US)
- Harvard University (US)
- The University of Texas at El Paso (US)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
- Old Dominion University (US)
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-08-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61466-x
- Primary Topic
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Drug Abuse