This paper has a rather audacious purpose: to present a comprehensive theory explaining,
and further providing hypotheses for the empirical study of, the multiple ways by which …

Classically, the basal ganglia have been considered to have a role in producing habitual
and goal-directed behaviours. In this article, we review recent evidence that expands this …

The basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebral cortex form an interconnected network implicated
in many neurological and psychiatric illnesses. A better understanding of cortico-subcortical …

The prefrontal cortex is so important to human beings that, if deprived of it, our behaviour is
reduced to action-reactions and automatisms, with no ability to make deliberate decisions …

Why do we repeat choices that we know are bad for us? Decision making is characterized
by the parallel engagement of two distinct systems, goal-directed and habitual, thought to …

The striatum is connected to the cerebral cortex through multiple anatomical loops that
process sensory, limbic, and heteromodal information. Tract-tracing studies in the monkey …

Although cells in many brain regions respond to reward, the cortical-basal ganglia circuit is
at the heart of the reward system. The key structures in this network are the anterior …

A better understanding of the neural systems underlying impulse control is important for
psychiatry. Although most impulses are motivational or emotional rather than motoric per se …

Stress is present in everyday life in various forms and situations. Two stressors frequently
investigated are physiological and psychosocial stress. Besides similar subjective and …

The fundamental importance of prefrontal cortical connectivity to information processing and,
therefore, disorders of cognition, emotion, and behavior has been recognized for decades …