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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
12:09

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Published on: March 19, 2014

Serotonin selectively modulates reward value in human decision-making.

Ben Seymour1, Nathaniel D Daw, Jonathan P Roiser

  • 1Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London-UCL, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom. bjs49@cam.ac.uk

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|April 28, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Decreased brain serotonin impairs human reward processing and decision-making by altering how rewards and punishments are weighed. This study reveals serotonin's complex role in evaluating outcomes.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Decision-making science
  • Behavioral economics

Background:

  • Serotonin's role in human decision-making is complex due to its involvement in reward and punishment processing.
  • Understanding serotonin's precise function requires disentangling its effects on different aspects of decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of reduced brain serotonin on human decision-making, specifically in the context of simultaneous reward and punishment.
  • To elucidate how serotonin influences the valuation of outcomes and the comparison between rewards and punishments.

Main Methods:

  • A novel choice task was designed where actions yielded stochastic rewards (money) and punishments (pain).
  • Acute dietary tryptophan depletion was used to experimentally decrease brain serotonin levels in participants.
  • Behavioral and neural measures were employed to assess decision-making processes and outcome valuation.

Main Results:

  • Dietary tryptophan depletion selectively impaired behavioral and neural representations of reward outcome value.
  • Serotonin depletion altered the 'exchange rate' at which rewards and punishments were compared.
  • This effect was distinct from an increase in outcome-independent choice perseveration.

Conclusions:

  • Serotonin plays a crucial role in the processing and valuation of rewards during decision-making.
  • The findings highlight serotonin's multifarious effects, impacting how individuals weigh potential gains against losses.
  • This research provides novel insights into the neurochemical underpinnings of human choice behavior.