scholarly journals Thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways differentially contribute to goal-directed behaviors in the rat

eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabien Alcaraz ◽  
Virginie Fresno ◽  
Alain R Marchand ◽  
Eric J Kremer ◽  
Etienne Coutureau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Instrumental Learning ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Thalamic Nuclei ◽  
Functional Involvement ◽  
Adaptive Decision Making ◽  
Flow Of Information ◽  
Goal Value

Highly distributed neural circuits are thought to support adaptive decision-making in volatile and complex environments. Notably, the functional interactions between prefrontal and reciprocally connected thalamic nuclei areas may be important when choices are guided by current goal value or action-outcome contingency. We examined the functional involvement of selected thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways connecting the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) in the behaving rat. Using a chemogenetic approach to inhibit projection-defined dmPFC and MD neurons during an instrumental learning task, we show that thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways differentially support goal attributes. Both pathways participate in adaptation to the current goal value, but only thalamocortical neurons are required to integrate current causal relationships. These data indicate that antiparallel flow of information within thalamocortical circuits may convey qualitatively distinct aspects of adaptive decision-making and highlight the importance of the direction of information flow within neural circuits.

scholarly journals The impact of traumatic stress on Pavlovian biases

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. T. Ousdal ◽  
Q. J. Huys ◽  
A. M. Milde ◽  
A. R. Craven ◽  
L. Ersland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Instrumental Learning ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Single Episode ◽  
Reinforcement Learning Models ◽  
Stress Influences ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundDisturbances in Pavlovian valuation systems are reported to follow traumatic stress exposure. However, motivated decisions are also guided by instrumental mechanisms, but to date the effect of traumatic stress on these instrumental systems remain poorly investigated. Here, we examine whether a single episode of severe traumatic stress influences flexible instrumental decisions through an impact on a Pavlovian system.MethodsTwenty-six survivors of the 2011 Norwegian terror attack and 30 matched control subjects performed an instrumental learning task in which Pavlovian and instrumental associations promoted congruent or conflicting responses. We used reinforcement learning models to infer how traumatic stress affected learning and decision-making. Based on the importance of dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) for cognitive control, we also investigated if individual concentrations of Glx (=glutamate + glutamine) in dACC predicted the Pavlovian bias of choice.ResultsSurvivors of traumatic stress expressed a greater Pavlovian interference with instrumental action selection and had significantly lower levels of Glx in the dACC. Across subjects, the degree of Pavlovian interference was negatively associated with dACC Glx concentrations.ConclusionsExperiencing traumatic stress appears to render instrumental decisions less flexible by increasing the susceptibility to Pavlovian influences. An observed association between prefrontal glutamatergic levels and this Pavlovian bias provides novel insight into the neurochemical basis of decision-making, and suggests a mechanism by which traumatic stress can impair flexible instrumental behaviours.

Training Situation Awareness and Adaptive Decision-Making Skills Using a Desktop Computer Simulation

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Pleban ◽  
Jennifer S. Tucker ◽  
Vanessa Johnson Katie /Gunther ◽  
Thomas R. Graves
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Computer Simulation ◽  
Situation Awareness ◽  
Desktop Computer ◽  
Adaptive Decision Making

scholarly journals Cognitive Control of Working Memory: A Model-Based Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 721
Author(s):  
Russell J. Boag ◽  
Niek Stevenson ◽  
Roel van Dooren ◽  
Anne C. Trutti ◽  
Zsuzsika Sjoerds ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Decision Time ◽  
Control Processes ◽  
Prepotent Response ◽  
New Information ◽  
Empirical Performance ◽  
Flow Of Information

Working memory (WM)-based decision making depends on a number of cognitive control processes that control the flow of information into and out of WM and ensure that only relevant information is held active in WM’s limited-capacity store. Although necessary for successful decision making, recent work has shown that these control processes impose performance costs on both the speed and accuracy of WM-based decisions. Using the reference-back task as a benchmark measure of WM control, we conducted evidence accumulation modeling to test several competing explanations for six benchmark empirical performance costs. Costs were driven by a combination of processes, running outside of the decision stage (longer non-decision time) and showing the inhibition of the prepotent response (lower drift rates) in trials requiring WM control. Individuals also set more cautious response thresholds when expecting to update WM with new information versus maintain existing information. We discuss the promise of this approach for understanding cognitive control in WM-based decision making.

The Emergence of Adaptive Decision Making in Children

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Gregan‐Paxton ◽  
Deborah Roedder John
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Adaptive Decision Making

scholarly journals Age Differences in Adaptive Decision Making: The Role of Numeracy

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 825-833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiwei Chen ◽  
Jiaxi Wang ◽  
Robert M. Kirk ◽  
Olivia L. Pethtel ◽  
Allison E. Kiefner
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Adaptive Decision Making
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