A new NIDA study in rats shows that the orbitofrontal cortex, a brain region involved in motivation and drive, is vital to using previous learning experiences to compute the current value of a reward. This study adds to our understanding of how the functioning of a specific brain circuit might be disrupted in clinical brain disorders, including drug addiction.
For a copy of the article abstract, go to: www.sciencemag.org/content/338/6109/953.abstract. For a summary of research being conducted in this area by NIDA’s Intramural Research Program, go to: http://irp.drugabuse.gov/schoenbaum/projects.php.