actions maximizing reward38. The lateral track consists of frontopolar cortex (FPC) and middle lateral PFC (mid-LPC). This track makes inferences about alternative strategies (~2–3) retrieved from long-term memory. The FPC infers the absolute reliability of these alternative strategies from action outcomes while the mid-LPC detects when one of them becomes reliable enough to be the new actor. Translating this to alcohol addiction, dACC switches to an addicted state (via habenula) and NAcc confirms this state as the new reference. The pgACC confirms the addicted state as reliable, and NAcc–pgACC functional connectivity maintains the addicted state. As a consequence of the addicted state being the reference, constant craving for alcohol will ensue in an attempt to maintain the addicted state as the reference.
