Nucleus accumbens dopamine is known to play a role in motivational processes, and
dysfunctions of mesolimbic dopamine may contribute to motivational symptoms of …

Anhedonia is a core symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD), the neurobiological
mechanisms of which remain poorly understood. Despite decades of speculation regarding …

Motivation determines multiple aspects of behavior, including action selection and
energization of behavior. Several components of the underlying neural systems have been …

Dopamine cell firing can encode errors in reward prediction, providing a learning signal to
guide future behavior. Yet dopamine is also a key modulator of motivation, invigorating …

Predictions about future rewarding events have a powerful influence on behaviour. The
phasic spike activity of dopamine-containing neurons, and corresponding dopamine …

Cognitive control is subjectively costly, suggesting that engagement is modulated in
relationship to incentive state. Dopamine appears to play key roles. In particular, dopamine …

BACKGROUND: Decision-making studies show that response selection is influenced by the
“effort cost” associated with response alternatives. These effort-cost calculations seem to be …

In spite of its familiar phenomenology, the mechanistic basis for mental effort remains poorly
understood. Although most researchers agree that mental effort is aversive and stems from …

Motivation deficits, such as apathy, are pervasive in both neurological and psychiatric
diseases. Even when they are not the core symptom, they reduce quality of life, compromise …

Decision making consists of choosing among available options on the basis of a valuation of
their potential costs and benefits. Most theoretical models of decision making in behavioral …