Motivation (or a lack of it) shapes our lives in ways large and small every day: From changing careers to changing TV channels, we’re guided by what motivates us and what we find rewarding.

In a new study published in PNAS, researchers led by a team from Nagoya University in Japan have identified neurons that produce the chemical orexin as playing an important role in food-reward motivation in rats.

These neurons are located in the brain’s hypothalamus and have previously been linked to wakefulness, energy expenditure, and indeed motivation. The researchers behind this latest study wanted to look more closely at that link to motivation.