The article "Decision Making, the P3, and the Locus Coeruleus–Norepinephrine System" by Nieuwenhuis, Aston-Jones, and Cohen reviews the neural basis and functional role of the P3 component of the event-related brain potential (ERP). The authors integrate existing knowledge to suggest that the P3 reflects the phasic activity of the locus coeruleus–norepinephrine (LC-NE) system in response to the outcome of internal decision-making processes. They argue that the observed properties of the P3 are consistent with the LC-NE system's role in potentiating information processing for motivationally significant events. The review covers the phenomenology and antecedent conditions of the P3, the neural generators of the P3, the basic properties of the LC-NE system, and the relationship between LC-NE phasic response and P3 generation. The authors also discuss the implications of their theory for understanding attentional phenomena and clinical disorders.The article "Decision Making, the P3, and the Locus Coeruleus–Norepinephrine System" by Nieuwenhuis, Aston-Jones, and Cohen reviews the neural basis and functional role of the P3 component of the event-related brain potential (ERP). The authors integrate existing knowledge to suggest that the P3 reflects the phasic activity of the locus coeruleus–norepinephrine (LC-NE) system in response to the outcome of internal decision-making processes. They argue that the observed properties of the P3 are consistent with the LC-NE system's role in potentiating information processing for motivationally significant events. The review covers the phenomenology and antecedent conditions of the P3, the neural generators of the P3, the basic properties of the LC-NE system, and the relationship between LC-NE phasic response and P3 generation. The authors also discuss the implications of their theory for understanding attentional phenomena and clinical disorders.