Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered a specific brain region that underlies “goal-directed behavior”—that is, when we consciously do something with a particular goal in mind, say ...

This important study combines optogenetic manipulations and wide-field imaging to show that the retrosplenial cortex controls behavioral responses to whisker deflection in a context-dependent manner.

The agent, a person or thing that can act or produce an effect, learns to select the optimal action through reinforcement learning using reward signals. It makes predictions about its environment ...

Imagination may play a much more significant role in how the brain performs context-dependent valuations related to goal-directed behavior than previously believed, according to a study (Castegnetti, ...

Ever wondered how your brain decides when to act? Initiating actions with a specific goal in mind is a complex process. Previous research has identified certain parts of the brain and chemical signals ...