A study by neuroscientists at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, reported Sept. 22, 2026, in iScience, examined how the brain keeps decision options distinct. Researchers recorded electrical activity from hundreds of neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex of two trained animals as they chose between two targets by higher assigned reward value, with each target and its value presented in sequence. Decoding algorithms identified functional groups of neurons whose combined activity indicated target directions and values.

Before the values were assigned and a decision was made, the neural patterns represented options by order of presentation, with representations of the first and second targets largely perpendicular on three-dimensional graphs. After the decision, new patterns aligned chosen options with each other and unchosen options with each other, while the two categories remained distinct, the authors reported. Individual neurons were often recruited into different groups across rounds, suggesting the groups were assembled ad hoc rather than fixed circuits.

The authors suggested this organization could let downstream circuits read out the chosen target regardless of presentation order, and that distinct memories of each option might support later learning. The study involved two animals and did not report clinical results.