Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/C514416/1
Title:	Computational theory of decision optimization in the brain
Principal Investigator:	Bogacz, Professor R
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Computer Science
Organisation:	University of Bristol
Scheme:	First Grant Scheme Pre-FEC
Starts:	01 October 2005	Ends:	30 September 2008	Value (£):	71,463
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Biomedical neuroscience
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Healthcare
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Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Decision making is a frequent element of life of humans and animals. During millions of years of evolution, over which accuracy and speed of the decisions is critical for survival, evolutionary pressure promoted animals whose brains made more efficient decisions. Hence it is plausible that neural decision network possess architecture and parameters allowing them optimal performance. Recent theoretical work based on psychological and neurophysiological evidence indicates that brain indeed uses a statistically optimal algorithm during decision making. The goal of the proposed research is to investigate how this algorithm may be implemented by biological networks of neurons. In particular, biological bases will be sought for two aspects of decision optimization: First, one will identify the architecture and constraints on neurophysiological parameters of networks within the brain allowing them to implement statistically optimal decision strategies. Second, one will identify how the value of one of such parameters (decision criterion) may be adapted by learning. The proposed project is not guaranteed to reveal the real details of brain decision networks, but it will provide experimentally testable predictions that can be used to test the model suggested by the research. Furthermore, the knowledge of how the brain may optimally solve decision problems may inspire future applications in information technology.
Key Findings
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Organisation Website:	http://www.bris.ac.uk