• 💡 Hypothesis = a general, testable explanation for a biological phenomenon.
• 🎯 Prediction = the specific, measurable result you expect in a particular experiment if the hypothesis is true.

Format to remember:

If my hypothesis is correct, then in experiment X I expect prediction Y.

🧠 Example Set 1 – Circuit & Reward Value

💡 Hypothesis

Projections from the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) regulate the encoding of reward value.

🎯 Prediction

Chemogenetic inactivation of OFC→BLA projections during reward learning will prevent animals from updating reward value when outcome probability changes.

🧠 Example Set 2 – Motivation & Depression

💡 Hypothesis

Hypoactivity in the nucleus accumbens causes apathy symptoms in depression.

🎯 Prediction

Individuals with major depressive disorder and high apathy will show reduced nucleus accumbens activity during a reward anticipation task compared with healthy controls.

🧬 Example Set 3 – Dopamine & Expected Reward

💡 Hypothesis

Striatal dopamine ramping encodes expected reward magnitude.