A subcortical switchboard for perseverative, exploratory and disengaged states.

To survive in dynamic environments with uncertain resources, animals must adapt their behaviour flexibly, choosing strategies such as persevering with a current choice, exploring alternatives or disengaging altogether. Previous studies have mainly investigated how forebrain regions represent choice costs and values as well as optimal strategies during such decisions. However, the neural mechanisms by which the brain implements alternative behavioural strategies such as persevering, exploring or disengaging remain poorly understood.