Cost–Benefit Evaluation in Decision-Making and Psychiatry: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms

Dear Colleagues,

Decision-making is vital in all mammals. However, the underlying mechanisms of this process are not fully understood, and the molecular and cellular bases have gained intensive research attention in recent years. These efforts include animal and human studies on cost and reward values, subjective value and reward-prediction error. Additionally, the spatial and temporal aspects of molecular functioning have been investigated under stressful conditions, cost–reward conflicts and uncertainty, suggesting the involvement of several brain regions, pathways and circuits including OFC, VLPFC, DA subcortical and cortical neural connectivity, LHb, SNC and cells called striosomes, which are part of the striatum compartment. Excitatory–inhibitory balance at the cellular and molecular levels is also an emerging concept with promise for a better understanding of healthy and pathological decision-making. Recent reports show the relevance of these discoveries to a better understanding of psychiatric pathology as well as to the development of advanced treatments. This issue aims to publish animal and human studies and reviews of the current state of the art on the cellular and molecular components of decision-making, which could advance the understanding of psychiatric disorders beyond the current knowledge regarding healthy decision-making processes. We welcome MRI and fMRI studies as well as studies of specific molecules, cells, regions and circuits involved in aspects of decision-making and cost–reward evaluation. Of special interest are identified circuits at the microlevel of brain neural connectivity as well as at the macrolevel.

We note that in general, non-randomized clinical research and survey studies are not suitable for IJMS.

Dr. Sari Goldstein Ferber
Prof. Aron Weller
Dr. Alexander Friedman
Guest Editors

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• cost–reward evaluation circuits
• decision-making
• molecular mechanisms
• psychopathology
• psychiatry
• cellular mechanisms