Fruit flies offer clues to how brains make reward-based decisions

Published on September 22, 2023

In the intricate maze of a fruit fly’s mind, decisions are made based on expectations of reward. By locating the exact spot in a fly’s brain where these calculations occur, scientists have unlocked insights into how the brain orchestrates this complex behavior. Just as a pilot deftly navigates through a storm, the fly’s brain uses neural circuits to weigh the possibility of reward and make value adjustments accordingly. This study confirms a theory about the neural underpinnings of decision-making and opens up exciting new avenues for research in studying reward-based behavior. Now armed with this knowledge, scientists can delve deeper into understanding how brains process rewards and apply these findings to other species, including our own. Want to dive deeper into the world of fruit fly neurobiology? Check out the link below!

New research finds fruit flies make decisions based on their expectations about the likelihood of a reward and pinpoints the site in the fly brain where these value adjustments are made, enabling researchers to directly test a theory about how the brain enables this behavior on the level of neural circuits.

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