Feel your feelings, choose your behavior. The brain is an instantaneous probability statement generator! A theory of mind should include the function of generating instantaneous probability statements. A definition of mental health should include the capacity to tolerate the tension of holding the reality of complexity in mind without blind submission to appealing false, simplistic, non-evidence-based, low-probability choices. This does not rule out fantasy and wishful thinking, it SIMPLY permits one to recognize the degree of risk BEFORE choosing behavior. In other words, feel your feelings, choose your behavior! Knowing your moment-to-moment feelings while thinking and talking should be as easy as walking and chewing gum. Listening and feeling without DOING should be easier. Honor your feelings, control your (re)actions. - Ange Lobue, MD, MPH, BSPharm

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 13, 150-151 (March 2012)

Reward: High expectations for GABA

Abstract
Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are crucial in regulating reward and motivation. A popular theory holds that dopamine neurons compute reward prediction errors, that is, the difference between an expected outcome and the actual outcome.