Role of the primate ventral striatum as a neural hub bridging option valuation and action selection

Role of the primate ventral striatum as a neural hub bridging option valuation and action selection | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Role of the primate ventral striatum as a neural hub bridging option valuation and action selection Masayuki Matsumoto, Masafumi Nejime, Mengxi Yun, Yawei Wang, Takashi Kawai, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6641769/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 28 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Making appropriate decisions relies on the brain’s capacity to evaluate the expected outcomes of available options and select the most rewarding one. Reinforcement learning theory offers a computational framework for this process, wherein value function represents the value of expected outcomes and is updated by reward prediction errors. The ventral striatum and midbrain dopamine neurons have been regarded as neural substrates for encoding and updating the value function. Extending beyond this framework, we found that the dopamine–ventral striatum system plays a more proactive role in deciding which option to choose. We recorded single-unit activity in macaque monkeys as they sequentially evaluated an option, decided whether to choose it, and expressed that choice through a motor response. Ventral striatum neurons initially encoded option value but gradually shifted their activity to reflect monkey’s choice, as if the ventral striatum itself derives the choice from value information. Moreover, optogenetic facilitation of dopamine input to the ventral striatum as well as electrical stimulation of this region altered monkey’s choice. Our findings reveal a novel function of the ventral striatum as a neural hub that bridges option valuation and action selection, and demonstrate the contribution of dopamine in modulating decision computations within this region. Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Cognitive neuroscience/Decision Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Reward Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 28 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6641769","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":457816879,"identity":"5a1fabba-8e10-4a33-ae8a-1411b760ec6f","order_by":0,"name":"Masayuki 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