The role of the subthalamic nucleus in strategic decision-making:  A model-based 
approach

Birte Forstmann
University of Amsterdam

The basal ganglia are thought to implement a generic action–selection mechanism that 
releases from inhibition those actions that are desirable and maintains inhibitory control 
over all others. One key hypothesis that is shared by recent neurocomputational models 
of decisionmaking is that the subthalamic nucleus (STN), a small nucleus in the basal 
ganglia (BG), plays a pivotal role in strategic adjustments of response thresholds. In this 
talk, I will first discuss the anatomofunctional role of the STN including ultra-high 
resolution 7Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from post-mortem and in-vivo 
brains. I will provide a critical overview challenging the current academic consensus that 
the STN consists of three distinct parts, each selectively associated with cognitive, 
emotional, or motor functioning. I will then present structural and functional 3 and 7T 
data highlighting the role of the STN in strategic decision-making. The results will be 
discussed in light of the STN´s functional role in both healthy and clinical populations.