Hauber W. (2026) Behavioral, neural and neurochemical basis of effort-related decision making

The ability to weigh the effort required against the expected reward is essential for goal-directed and adaptive decision-making. This review summarizes current research on the behavioral, neural, and neurochemical mechanisms underlying effort-based decision-making, with particular emphasis on experimental studies in rodents. These studies provide major insights into the mechanisms by which organisms evaluate whether the anticipated reward justifies the required effort. The evidence indicates that effort-based decisions emerge from the coordinated activity of multiple brain regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, and basal ganglia. In addition, several neurotransmitter systems—most notably dopamine—play a critical role in modulating the willingness to exert effort to obtain desired rewards. Overall, the reviewed evidence demonstrates that effort-based decision-making cannot be explained by the function of individual brain structures alone but instead arises from dynamic interactions within distributed neural networks. Understanding these mechanisms provides important insights into the neural basis of motivational dysfunction in humans, thereby contributing to a better understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression.