Professor Marc Tittgemeyer | Minding the Body – Metabolic Modulation of Motivated Behaviour

https://zoom.us/j/93526030034?pwd=ZkJnYlFVOEthU2lDeE5nVmV6TlZLZz09

Behaviour is adaptive: survival depends on aligning actions with physiological needs. To that end, neural circuits decode interoceptive signals—such as hunger and satiety—and integrate them with environmental cues to guide decisions that maintain homeostasis.

In the talk, I will explore how the brain encodes internal states, prioritises goals, and transforms sensory input into directed action through a dynamic neural logic. Thereby, metabolic signals act as neuromodulators, reconfiguring circuit function to shift decision strategies—from exploitation to exploration. This reveals that traits like impulsivity and motivation are not static, but dynamically tuned by internal state. Ultimately, cognition and action emerge not from fixed programs but from the brain’s continuous effort to regulate the body, with motivational salience shaped by the interplay of physiology and neural circuitry.