Neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) encode economic value during decision-making. Camillo Padoa-Schioppa and John A. Assad found that OFC neurons represent the value of offered and chosen goods, independent of spatial factors and motor responses. In experiments, monkeys chose between different juice types and quantities, and the researchers observed that OFC neurons encoded the relative value of the juices. They recorded activity from 931 neurons and found that 505 neurons showed significant modulation by offer type. The activity of these neurons was analyzed across seven time windows, revealing that OFC neurons encode offer value, chosen value, and taste. U-shaped responses in OFC neurons were found to reflect the value of the chosen juice, with the slope ratio of the response matching the relative value of the juices. The study also showed that OFC neurons encode the value of goods in a non-specific way, independent of the specifics of the good, such as juice type and quantity. This suggests that economic choice is fundamentally about choosing between goods rather than actions. The findings support a "good-based" model of economic choice, contrasting with the "action-based" model. The study also highlights the role of OFC in decision-making, as lesions in this area are associated with various behavioral and cognitive deficits. The results provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying economic decision-making and support the idea that OFC is crucial for encoding the value of goods in economic choices.Neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) encode economic value during decision-making. Camillo Padoa-Schioppa and John A. Assad found that OFC neurons represent the value of offered and chosen goods, independent of spatial factors and motor responses. In experiments, monkeys chose between different juice types and quantities, and the researchers observed that OFC neurons encoded the relative value of the juices. They recorded activity from 931 neurons and found that 505 neurons showed significant modulation by offer type. The activity of these neurons was analyzed across seven time windows, revealing that OFC neurons encode offer value, chosen value, and taste. U-shaped responses in OFC neurons were found to reflect the value of the chosen juice, with the slope ratio of the response matching the relative value of the juices. The study also showed that OFC neurons encode the value of goods in a non-specific way, independent of the specifics of the good, such as juice type and quantity. This suggests that economic choice is fundamentally about choosing between goods rather than actions. The findings support a "good-based" model of economic choice, contrasting with the "action-based" model. The study also highlights the role of OFC in decision-making, as lesions in this area are associated with various behavioral and cognitive deficits. The results provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying economic decision-making and support the idea that OFC is crucial for encoding the value of goods in economic choices.