title: Basal ganglia: racing to say no.
abstract: How we choose one action over another has intrigued neuroscientists for decades. Early models of decision-making involved a race between processes representing alternative choices. To explain behaviour in complex decisions, for example, where one must cancel an impending action, a Stop unit must also join the race. Recent neuronal recordings have demonstrated just such a race between Go and Stop processes in the basal ganglia. This is a landmark advance because it neurophysiologically justifies the need for a Stop process in such tasks, and very likely in other behaviours requiring rapid cancellation of impending actions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: Imran.noorani@cantab.net.
authors.forename: Imran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Noorani
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: R H S
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Carpenter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000502:physiology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008959:Models, Neurological; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*