Balancing Reward with Threat Highlights the Interplay between Brain, Behaviour, and Individual Traits

Researchers from Experimental Psychology and the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN) at the University of Oxford in the UK and the Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre and the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in France have shed light on how we balance pursuing rewards while making sure we are aware of any threats around us. Two recently published studies explore different aspects of this balancing act.

The first study, which has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), explains how networks of neurons in the brain track competing behavioural motivators to decide when to switch behaviour between seeking reward and responding to a threat.

The researchers recorded activity in a brain structure that is one of the major sources of serotonin, a brain chemical that is important in many treatments for depression and anxiety. The results suggest that the structure, which is called the dorsal raphe nucleus DRN), is part of a mechanism for managing transitions between seeking positive opportunities and watching out for threats. The scientists found a relationship between individual variation in brain activity in the DRN and individual variation in the way people balance their behaviour between a focus on positive opportunities and being vigilant for threats.

The second study, which has been published in Nature Mental Health, focused on how these behaviours are affected by factors such as mood and personal traits linked to mental health. It showed that the same behavioural measure—switching to check for threat—was related to individual variation in apathy. 

Together, these studies offer new insights into how humans navigate the competing demands of potential rewards and threats. By linking neural and behavioural perspectives, the research highlights the intricate interplay between brain activity, individual traits, and situational demands in shaping how we navigate natural environments.

The papers can be found by following the links below:

[1] A distributed subcortical circuit linked to instrumental information-seeking about threat.  Trier HA, Khalighinejad N, Hamilton S, Harbison C, Priestley L, Laubach M, Klein-Flügge M, Scholl* J, Rushworth* MFS. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Jan 21;122(3):e2410955121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2410955121. Epub 2025 Jan 15. PMID: 39813246 

[2] Emotions and individual differences shape human foraging under threat. Trier HA, O’Reilly JX, Spiering L, Yishan SM, Kolling N, Rushworth MFS*, Scholl J*.   Nat. Mental Health (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-025-00393-8