scholarly journals Curiosity is associated with enhanced tonic firing in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya Zhe Wang ◽  
Benjamin Yost Hayden
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Rhesus Macaques ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
New Information ◽  
Trial Basis

ABSTRACTDisparity between current and desired information, known as information gap, is an important driver of information-seeking and curiosity. To gain insight into its neural basis, we recorded responses of single neurons in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) while rhesus macaques performed a task that induces and quantifies demand for information. We find that enhanced firing rates in dACC before the start of a trial predict a stronger bias towards information-seeking choices. Following choices of uninformative options, firing rates are tonically enhanced until information is delivered. The level of enhancement observed is correlated on a trial-by-trial basis with the value assigned to the prospective information. Finally, variation in this tone is positively correlated with receptiveness to new information, as inferred by preference changes on subsequent trials. These patterns are not observed in a complementary dataset collected in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), suggesting these effects reflect at least somewhat anatomically localized processing.

scholarly journals The Neural Basis of Predictive Pursuit

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seng Bum Michael Yoo ◽  
Jiaxin Cindy Tu ◽  
Steven T. Piantadosi ◽  
Benjamin Yost Hayden
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Explicit Representation ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACTIt remains unclear how and to what extent non-human animals make demanding on-the-fly predictions during pursuit. We studied this problem in a novel laboratory pursuit task that incentivizes prediction of future prey positions. We trained three macaques to perform joystick-controlled pursuit of prey that followed intelligent escape algorithms. Subjects reliably aimed towards the prey’s likely future positions, indicating that they generate internal predictions and use those predictions to guide behavior. We then developed a generative model that explains real-time pursuit trajectories and showed that our subjects use prey position, velocity, and acceleration to make predictions. We identified neurons in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) whose responses track these three variables. These neurons multiplexed prediction-related variables with a distinct and explicit representation of the prey’s future position. Our results provide a clear demonstration that the brain can explicitly represent future predictions and highlight the critical role of anterior cingulate cortex for future-oriented cognition.One-sentence summaryIn a dynamic pursuit environment, monkeys actively predict future prey positions and dACC neurons encode these future positions.

scholarly journals Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex intrinsic functional connectivity linked to electrocortical measures of error-monitoring

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayley Gilbertson ◽  
Lin Fang ◽  
Jeremy A. Andrzejewski ◽  
Joshua M. Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Functional Coupling ◽  
Error Monitoring ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex

AbstractThe error-related negativity (ERN) is a response-locked event-related potential, occurring approximately 50 ms following an erroneous response at frontocentral electrode sites. Source localization and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research indicate that the ERN is likely generated by activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). The dACC is thought to be a part of a broader network of brain regions that collectively comprise an error-monitoring network. However, little is known about how intrinsic connectivity within the dACC-based error-monitoring network contributes to variability in ERN amplitude. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between dACC functional connectivity and ERN amplitude. In a sample of 53 highly trait-anxious individuals, the ERN was elicited in a flanker task and functional connectivity was assessed in a 10-minute resting-state fMRI scan. Results suggest that the strength of dACC seeded functional connectivity with the supplementary motor area is correlated with the ΔERN (i.e., incorrect – correct responses) amplitude such that greater ΔERN amplitude was accompanied by greater functional coupling between these regions. In addition to the dACC, exploratory analyses found that functional connectivity in the caudate, cerebellum, and a number of regions in the error-monitoring network were linked to variability in ΔERN amplitude. In sum, ERN amplitude appears to be related to the strength of functional connectivity between error-monitoring and motor control regions of the brain.

scholarly journals Altered resting-state dorsal anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Juan Chen ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Jun Ke ◽  
Rongfeng Qi ◽  
Qiang Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Post Traumatic

Objective: The brain functional alterations at regional and network levels in post-traumatic stress disorder patients are still unclear. This study explored brain functional alterations at regional and network levels in post-traumatic stress disorder patients with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and evaluated the relationship between brain function and clinical indices in post-traumatic stress disorder. Methods: Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and seed-based functional connectivity analyses were conducted among typhoon survivors with ( n = 27) and without post-traumatic stress disorder ( n = 33) and healthy controls ( n = 30) to assess the spontaneous brain activity and network-level brain function. Pearson correlation analyses were performed to examine the association of brain function with clinical symptom and social support. Results: Both the post-traumatic stress disorder group and the trauma-exposed control group showed decreased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex relative to the healthy control group. The post-traumatic stress disorder group showed increased dorsal anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity with the right paracentral lobule and bilateral precentral gyrus/postcentral gyrus relative to both control groups. Both traumatized groups exhibited decreased dorsal anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity with the right hippocampus and left cerebellum relative to the healthy control group. More decreased dorsal anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity with the right hippocampus was found in the post-traumatic stress disorder group. The Checklist-Civilian Version score positively correlated with functional connectivity between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the right paracentral lobule as well as between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the right precentral gyrus/postcentral gyrus. The social support was associated with functional connectivity between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the bilateral precentral gyrus/postcentral gyrus as well as the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the left middle frontal gyrus. Conclusion: Trauma exposure may result in aberrant local and network-level functional connectivity in individuals with or without post-traumatic stress disorder. Altered amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex may be a predisposing risk factor for post-traumatic stress disorder development following trauma exposure. More prominent decreased dorsal anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity with the right hippocampus might be specific in the post-traumatic stress disorder group. Improvement of social support might possibly be significant for post-traumatic stress disorder patients.

Abrupt, Asynchronous Changes in Action Representations by Anterior Cingulate Cortex Neurons during Trial and Error Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 4336-4345
Author(s):  
Eldon Emberly ◽  
Jeremy K Seamans
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Ability To Act ◽  
New Information ◽  
Error Learning ◽  
Complex Forms ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Action Representations

Abstract The ability to act on knowledge about the value of stimuli or actions factors into simple foraging behaviors as well as complex forms of decision-making. In striatal regions, action representations are thought to acquire value through a gradual (reinforcement-learning based) process. It is unclear whether this is also true for anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) where neuronal representations tend to change abruptly. We recorded from ensembles of ACC neurons as rats deduced which of 3 levers was rewarded each day. The rat’s lever preferences changed gradually throughout the sessions as they eventually came to focus on the rewarded lever. Most individual neurons changed their responses to both rewarded and nonrewarded lever presses abruptly (<2 trials). These transitions occurred asynchronously across the population but peaked near the point where the rats began to focus on the rewarded lever. Because the individual transitions were asynchronous, the overall change at the population level appeared gradual. Abrupt transitions in action representations of ACC neurons may be part of a mechanism that alters choice strategies as new information is acquired.

scholarly journals Pedophilic sex offenders are characterised by reduced GABA concentration in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 335-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inka Ristow ◽  
Meng Li ◽  
Lejla Colic ◽  
Vanessa Marr ◽  
Carina Födisch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Gaba Concentration ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex

scholarly journals A neural network for information seeking

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kael White ◽  
Ethan S. Bromberg-Martin ◽  
Sarah R. Heilbronner ◽  
Kaining Zhang ◽  
Julia Pai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Brain

AbstractHumans and other animals often show a strong desire to know the uncertain rewards their future has in store, even when they cannot use this information to influence the outcome. However, it is unknown how the brain predicts opportunities to gain information and motivates this information-seeking behavior. Here we show that neurons in a network of interconnected subregions of primate anterior cingulate cortex and basal ganglia predict the moment of gaining information about uncertain rewards. Spontaneous increases in their information prediction signals are followed by gaze shifts toward objects associated with resolving uncertainty, and pharmacologically disrupting this network reduces the motivation to seek information. These findings demonstrate a cortico-basal ganglia mechanism responsible for motivating actions to resolve uncertainty by seeking knowledge about the future.

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