Brain's decision-making network more complex than thought
Researchers at Columbia University published a study on Wednesday that challenges the long-held view that the prefrontal cortex acts as the brain's primary decision-making hub. Using high-resolution fMRI scans and neural recording techniques, the team found that decisions emerge from a distributed network of brain regions that dynamically reorganize depending on the type of choice being made. Simple choices activate different circuits than complex, value-based decisions.
Implications for treating brain disorders
The findings have direct implications for treating conditions such as addiction, where decision-making is impaired, and Parkinson's disease, where dopamine-producing neurons necessary for certain types of decisions are damaged. Understanding that different decision types rely on different neural circuits could lead to more targeted therapies. The researchers are now investigating whether the same principles apply to social decision-making and moral reasoning.
CERN plans massive LHC upgrade
Separately, CERN announced plans for the most extensive upgrade to the Large Hadron Collider since it began operations. The High-Luminosity LHC project will increase collision rates by a factor of five to 10, allowing physicists to study rare particle interactions with unprecedented precision. The upgrade is expected to be completed by 2029 and could help resolve outstanding questions about dark matter and the nature of the Higgs boson.