Some of the choices we make are ‘automatic’, but depending on the context, such responses may need to be suppressed. To study neural dynamics during this process, Elston and Wallis used Neuropixels to simultaneously record neurons in orbitofrontal cortex and ventromedial caudate nucleus — two brain areas involved in decision making — in monkeys performing a decision task in which the same stimulus could have a different value depending on the signaled context. When a stimulus that had previously been associated with a high value was encountered in a context in which that stimulus now signaled low value, the monkeys initially chose that stimulus but subsequently corrected themselves to make the appropriate context-dependent higher-value choice.
The authors observed context-dependent value coding of the stimulus at the single-neuron and population levels in both brain areas, including coding of counterfactual value representations (that is, the value of a stimulus in the alternate context). Interestingly, value decoding in the caudate was reduced during trials with corrective responses, and this was because of altered population geometry. Orbitofrontal cortex and caudate local field potential synchronization increased on trials with corrective responses, suggesting that orbitofrontal cortex might modulate striatal population dynamics on trials that require suppression of automatic choices.
These results provide a window into neural dynamics during naturalistic state-dependent decisions. Original reference: Neuron https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2026.09.016 (2026) This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription Receive 12 print issues and online access Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Nature Neuroscience https://www.nature.com/neuro/ Mejia, L.A. Correcting automatic decisions.
Nat Neurosci 29, 2625 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-026-02510-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-026-02510-x
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