ReviewPhysiological reviews2015
Neuronal Reward and Decision Signals: From Theories to Data.
Review in Physiological reviews, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 464 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
464 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Conceptualizing love addiction within the attachment perspective: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2025Pooled it
- Attention skills, learning and academic abilities in children and adolescents with genetic disorders: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- The Role of the Human Cerebellum for Learning from and Processing of External Feedback in Non-Motor Learning: A Systematic Review.Cerebellum (London, England) · 2024Pooled it
- A meta-analysis of the neural substrates of monetary reward anticipation and outcome in alcohol use disorder.Human brain mapping · 2023Pooled it
- "Wanting" versus "needing" related value: An fMRI meta-analysis.Brain and behavior · 2022Pooled it
- Age-related differences in the error-related negativity and error positivity in children and adolescents are moderated by sample and methodological characteristics: A meta-analysis.Psychophysiology · 2022Pooled it
- Tasks activating the default mode network map multiple functional systems.Brain structure & function · 2022Pooled it
- The effect of dopamine D2-like receptor blockade on human motor performance and skill acquisition.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- A pilot study on the effects of olfactory stimulation with white musk aromatic oil on psychophysiological activity: a crossover study.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- A cluster-randomised controlled feasibility trial evaluating the Cognitive Occupation-Based programme for people with Multiple Sclerosis (COB-MS).Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025Trial
- Tibial nerve stimulation in the management of primary sexual dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis: a pilot randomized control trial.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2024Trial
- Neural Responses to Auditory Food Stimuli Following Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Binge-Eating Disorder.The International journal of eating disorders · 2024Trial
- Non-invasive stimulation of the human striatum disrupts reinforcement learning of motor skills.Nature human behaviour · 2024Trial
- Article
- Neurobehavioral differences in value-based decision making between people with cocaine use disorder and controls.Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology · 2026Article
- Dynamic salience as a basis for behavioural meta-malleability.Royal Society open science · 2026Review
- Neurofeedback, Biofeedback, and Basic Learning Theory: Revisiting the 2011 Conceptual Framework.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2026Review
- Reward Modality and Task Complexity Shape Learning Dynamics during Multi-decision Sequential Navigation.eNeuro · 2026Article
- Conditioned accumbal dopamine transients forecast individual preference for drug versus natural rewards and compulsive behavior.Nature neuroscience · 2026Article
- Unsupervised nonmotor learning in the human cerebellum.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
404 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
Abstract
Rewards are crucial objects that induce learning, approach behavior, choices, and emotions. Whereas emotions are difficult to investigate in animals, the learning function is mediated by neuronal reward prediction error signals which implement basic constructs of reinforcement learning theory. These signals are found in dopamine neurons, which emit a global reward signal to striatum and frontal cortex, and in specific neurons in striatum, amygdala, and frontal cortex projecting to select neuronal populations. The approach and choice functions involve subjective value, which is objectively assessed by behavioral choices eliciting internal, subjective reward preferences. Utility is the formal mathematical characterization of subjective value and a prime decision variable in economic choice theory. It is coded as utility prediction error by phasic dopamine responses. Utility can incorporate various influences, including risk, delay, effort, and social interaction. Appropriate for formal decision mechanisms, rewards are coded as object value, action value, difference value, and chosen value by specific neurons. Although all reward, reinforcement, and decision variables are theoretical constructs, their neuronal signals constitute measurable physical implementations and as such confirm the validity of these concepts. The neuronal reward signals provide guidance for behavior while constraining the free will to act.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.