By analyzing the activity of a single neuron , researchers at Yale University (USA) have been able to predict what decision we will make about saving or spending a certain amount of money .
As scientists publish in the journal Neuron , there are several areas of the brain involved in choosing between an immediate reward or a long-term benefit. Specifically, making the decision between buying the car in front of us or saving money requires the participation of a complex brain network, which includes the basal ganglia , in charge of controlling motor function but also of assessing the magnitude of the reward and time. that it will take time to receive it, as well as the prefrontal cortex , associated with rational thought. However, "in the instant before making the decision, it is possible to predict what the response will be by observing the activity in a single neuron in this network," says Daeyeol Lee, a neurobiologist at Yale University and head of the study. The results will better understand disorders such as gambling addiction or impulsive behavior , Lee adds.
