Triple-brain controller orchestrates continuous goal-directed decisions

A continuous prey-pursuit task reveals that naturalistic, goal-directed behavior is governed by a control-theoretic blend of multiple lower-level policies, managed by a meta-controller that shifts policy composition. Neural data show the anterior cingulate cortex signals major policy switches, the hippocampus encodes latent policy states for early planning, and the orbitofrontal cortex represents the task's value structure, supporting a tripartite view in which the hippocampus estimates state, ACC orchestrates control, and OFC provides value context for flexible decision-making.