The study by Padoa-Schioppa and Assad investigates the neuronal mechanisms underlying economic choice in monkeys. They found that neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) encode the value of offered and chosen goods, independent of visuospatial factors and motor responses. This suggests that economic choice is fundamentally a choice between goods, rather than between actions. The researchers recorded the activity of 931 neurons in the OFC during economic choice tasks, where monkeys had to choose between two types of juice (A and B) offered in different quantities. The analysis revealed that many neurons showed U-shaped responses, indicating their activity was highest when the monkey chose the juice with higher value. These responses were stable across different sessions and varied significantly depending on the offer type. The study also found that the activity of neurons encoding the chosen value was independent of the visuomotor contingencies of the task and the specifics of the goods. These findings support a "good-based" model of economic choice, where the nervous system operates by choosing between goods and then planning and executing a suitable motor action.The study by Padoa-Schioppa and Assad investigates the neuronal mechanisms underlying economic choice in monkeys. They found that neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) encode the value of offered and chosen goods, independent of visuospatial factors and motor responses. This suggests that economic choice is fundamentally a choice between goods, rather than between actions. The researchers recorded the activity of 931 neurons in the OFC during economic choice tasks, where monkeys had to choose between two types of juice (A and B) offered in different quantities. The analysis revealed that many neurons showed U-shaped responses, indicating their activity was highest when the monkey chose the juice with higher value. These responses were stable across different sessions and varied significantly depending on the offer type. The study also found that the activity of neurons encoding the chosen value was independent of the visuomotor contingencies of the task and the specifics of the goods. These findings support a "good-based" model of economic choice, where the nervous system operates by choosing between goods and then planning and executing a suitable motor action.