scholarly journals Coherent theta activity in the medial and orbital frontal cortices encodes reward value

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda M Amarante ◽  
Mark Laubach
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Analysis ◽  
Theta Rhythm ◽  
Consummatory Behavior ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Cortical Areas ◽  
Reward Value ◽  
Reward Information ◽  
Theta Range ◽  
Response Vigor

This study examined how the medial frontal (MFC) and orbital frontal (OFC) cortices process reward information. We simultaneously recorded local field potentials in the two areas as rats consumed liquid sucrose rewards. Both areas exhibited a 4–8 Hz ‘theta’ rhythm that was phase-locked to the lick cycle. The rhythm tracked shifts in sucrose concentrations and fluid volumes, demonstrating that it is sensitive to differences in reward magnitude. The coupling between the rhythm and licking was stronger in MFC than OFC and varied with response vigor and absolute reward value in the MFC. Spectral analysis revealed zero-lag coherence between the cortical areas, and found evidence for a directionality of the rhythm, with MFC leading OFC. Our findings suggest that consummatory behavior generates simultaneous theta range activity in the MFC and OFC that encodes the value of consumed fluids, with the MFC having a top-down role in the control of consumption.

scholarly journals Rhythmic activity in the medial and orbital frontal cortices tracks reward value and the vigor of consummatory behavior

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda M. Amarante ◽  
Mark Laubach
Keyword(s):  
Reward Magnitude ◽  
Local Field ◽  
Theta Rhythm ◽  
Local Field Potentials ◽  
Rhythmic Activity ◽  
Consummatory Behavior ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Reward Value ◽  
Reward Information ◽  
Response Vigor

ABSTRACTThis study examined how the medial frontal (MFC) and orbital frontal (OFC) cortices process reward information to guide behavior. We simultaneously recorded local field potentials in the two areas as rats consumed liquid sucrose rewards and examined how the areas collectively process reward information. Both areas exhibited a 4-8 Hz “theta” rhythm that was phase locked to the lick cycle. The rhythm similarly tracked shifts in sucrose concentrations and fluid volumes, suggesting that it is sensitive to general differences in reward magnitude. Differences between the MFC and OFC were noted, specifically that the rhythm varied with response vigor and absolute reward value in the MFC, but not the OFC. Our findings suggest that the MFC and OFC concurrently process reward information but have distinct roles in the control of consummatory behavior.

Eyeblink conditioning contingent on hippocampal theta enhances hippocampal and medial prefrontal responses

2011 ◽  
Vol 105 (5) ◽  
pp. 2213-2224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan D. Darling ◽  
Kanako Takatsuki ◽  
Amy L. Griffin ◽  
Stephen D. Berry
Keyword(s):  
Neural Activity ◽  
Theta Rhythm ◽  
Eyeblink Conditioning ◽  
Trace Conditioning ◽  
Distributed Network ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Trace Interval ◽  
Behavioral Learning ◽  
Paired Group ◽  
Hippocampal Theta

Trace eyeblink classical conditioning (tEBCC) can be accelerated by making training trials contingent on the naturally generated hippocampal 3- to 7-Hz theta rhythm. However, it is not well-understood how the presence (or absence) of theta affects stimulus-driven changes within the hippocampus and how it correlates with patterns of neural activity in other essential trace conditioning structures, such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In the present study, a brain-computer interface delivered paired or unpaired conditioning trials to rabbits during the explicit presence (T+) or absence (T−) of theta, yielding significantly faster behavioral learning in the T+-paired group. The stimulus-elicited hippocampal unit responses were larger and more rhythmic in the T+-paired group. This facilitation of unit responses was complemented by differences in the hippocampal local field potentials (LFP), with the T+-paired group demonstrating more coherent stimulus-evoked theta than T−-paired animals and both unpaired groups. mPFC unit responses in the rapid learning T+-paired group displayed a clear inhibitory/excitatory sequential pattern of response to the tone that was not seen in any other group. Furthermore, sustained mPFC unit excitation continued through the trace interval in T+animals but not in T−animals. Thus theta-contingent training is accompanied by 1) acceleration in behavioral learning, 2) enhancement of the hippocampal unit and LFP responses, and 3) enhancement of mPFC unit responses. Together, these data provide evidence that pretrial hippocampal state is related to enhanced neural activity in critical structures of the distributed network supporting the acquisition of tEBCC.

scholarly journals Closing the loop on impulsivity via nucleus accumbens delta-band activity in mice and man

2017 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 192-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hemmings Wu ◽  
Kai J. Miller ◽  
Zack Blumenfeld ◽  
Nolan R. Williams ◽  
Vinod K. Ravikumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Consummatory Behavior ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Palatable Food ◽  
Neural Signals ◽  
Reward Anticipation ◽  
Delta Band ◽  
Closing The Loop ◽  
Band Activity

Reward hypersensitization is a common feature of neuropsychiatric disorders, manifesting as impulsivity for anticipated incentives. Temporally specific changes in activity within the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which occur during anticipatory periods preceding consummatory behavior, represent a critical opportunity for intervention. However, no available therapy is capable of automatically sensing and therapeutically responding to this vulnerable moment in time when anticipation-related neural signals may be present. To identify translatable biomarkers for an off-the-shelf responsive neurostimulation system, we record local field potentials from the NAc of mice and a human anticipating conventional rewards. We find increased power in 1- to 4-Hz oscillations predominate during reward anticipation, which can effectively trigger neurostimulation that reduces consummatory behavior in mice sensitized to highly palatable food. Similar oscillations are present in human NAc during reward anticipation, highlighting the translational potential of our findings in the development of a treatment for a major unmet need.

Methamphetamine Hydrochloride and Reactions to Aversive Shock and Reward Decrements

1969 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 739-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Ison ◽  
Richard H. Page ◽  
David Gross ◽  
Richard V. Krane
Keyword(s):  
Passive Avoidance ◽  
Avoidance Behavior ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Freezing Behavior ◽  
Consummatory Behavior ◽  
Runway Performance ◽  
Passive Avoidance Behavior ◽  
Double Runway ◽  
Reward Value ◽  
Performance Decline

A total of 136 rats were employed in three experiments which assessed the effect of methamphetamine hydrochloride on passive avoidance behavior, on the energizing properties of non-reward in the double runway, and on the decrement in runway performance, which follows a drop in reward value. The drug increased passive avoidance behavior, did not alter the effects of non-reward in the double runway, and reduced the performance decline occasioned by the reward decrement. These results do not support the hypothesis that amphetamines increase emotional reactions; increased passive avoidance behavior resulted because the drug decreased consummatory behavior. The reduction in the performance disruption following the reward shift is consistent with the position that the drug decreases freezing behavior.

scholarly journals Medial frontal theta is entrained to rewarded actions

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda M. Amarante ◽  
Marcelo S. Caetano ◽  
Mark Laubach
Keyword(s):  
Frontal Cortex ◽  
Theta Rhythm ◽  
Phase Locking ◽  
Medial Frontal Cortex ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Cortical Region ◽  
Incentive Contrast ◽  
Opposite Hemisphere ◽  
Fluid Delivery ◽  
Reward Value

AbstractRodents lick to consume fluids. The reward value of ingested fluids is likely to be encoded by neuronal activity entrained to the lick cycle. Here, we investigated relationships between licking and reward signaling by the medial frontal cortex [MFC], a key cortical region for reward-guided learning and decision-making. Multi-electrode recordings of spike activity and field potentials were made in male rats as they performed an incentive contrast licking task. Rats received access to higher and lower value sucrose rewards over alternating 30 sec periods. They learned to lick persistently when higher value rewards were available and to suppress licking when lower value rewards were available. Spectral analysis of spikes and fields revealed evidence for reward value being encoded by the strength of phase-locking of a 6-12 Hz theta rhythm to the rats’ lick cycle. Recordings during the initial acquisition of the task found that the strength of phase-locking to the lick cycle was strengthened with experience. A modification of the task, with a temporal gap of 2 sec added between reward deliveries, found that the rhythmic signals persisted during periods of dry licking, a finding that suggests the MFC encodes either the value of the currently available reward or the vigor with which rats act to consume it. Finally, we found that reversible inactivations of the MFC in the opposite hemisphere eliminated the encoding of reward information. Together, our findings establish that a 6-12 Hz theta rhythm, generated by the rodent medial frontal cortex, is synchronized to rewarded actions.Significance StatementThe cellular and behavioral mechanisms of reward signaling by the medial frontal cortex [MFC] have not been resolved. We report evidence for a 6-12 Hz theta rhythm that is generated by the MFC and synchronized with ongoing consummatory actions. Previous studies of MFC reward signaling have inferred value coding upon temporally sustained activity during the period of reward consumption. Our findings suggest that MFC activity is temporally sustained due to the consumption of the rewarding fluids, and not necessarily the abstract properties of the rewarding fluid. Two other major findings were that the MFC reward signals persist beyond the period of fluid delivery and are generated by neurons within the MFC.

scholarly journals Characterization of Feedback Neurons in the High-Level Visual Cortical Areas That Project Directly to the Primary Visual Cortex in the Cat

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huijun Pan ◽  
Shen Zhang ◽  
Deng Pan ◽  
Zheng Ye ◽  
Hao Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Cortical Areas ◽  
Area 21A ◽  
High Level ◽  
Visual Cortical

Previous studies indicate that top-down influence plays a critical role in visual information processing and perceptual detection. However, the substrate that carries top-down influence remains poorly understood. Using a combined technique of retrograde neuronal tracing and immunofluorescent double labeling, we characterized the distribution and cell type of feedback neurons in cat’s high-level visual cortical areas that send direct connections to the primary visual cortex (V1: area 17). Our results showed: (1) the high-level visual cortex of area 21a at the ventral stream and PMLS area at the dorsal stream have a similar proportion of feedback neurons back projecting to the V1 area, (2) the distribution of feedback neurons in the higher-order visual area 21a and PMLS was significantly denser than in the intermediate visual cortex of area 19 and 18, (3) feedback neurons in all observed high-level visual cortex were found in layer II–III, IV, V, and VI, with a higher proportion in layer II–III, V, and VI than in layer IV, and (4) most feedback neurons were CaMKII-positive excitatory neurons, and few of them were identified as inhibitory GABAergic neurons. These results may argue against the segregation of ventral and dorsal streams during visual information processing, and support “reverse hierarchy theory” or interactive model proposing that recurrent connections between V1 and higher-order visual areas constitute the functional circuits that mediate visual perception. Also, the corticocortical feedback neurons from high-level visual cortical areas to the V1 area are mostly excitatory in nature.

scholarly journals Exploring reward-related attention selectivity deficits in Parkinson’s disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. D. Pilgrim ◽  
Zhen-Yi Andy Ou ◽  
Madeleine Sharp
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Search Task ◽  
Visual Search Task ◽  
Adaptive Modulation ◽  
Attention Capture ◽  
Reward Value ◽  
Automatic Attention ◽  
Reward Information

AbstractAn important aspect of managing a limited cognitive resource like attention is to use the reward value of stimuli to prioritize the allocation of attention to higher-value over lower-value stimuli. Recent evidence suggests this depends on dopaminergic signaling of reward. In Parkinson’s disease, both reward sensitivity and attention are impaired, but whether these deficits are directly related to one another is unknown. We tested whether Parkinson’s patients use reward information when automatically allocating their attention and whether this is modulated by dopamine replacement. We compared patients, tested both ON and OFF dopamine replacement medication, to older controls using a standard attention capture task. First, participants learned the different reward values of stimuli. Then, these reward-associated stimuli were used as distractors in a visual search task. We found that patients were generally distracted by the presence of the distractors but that the degree of distraction caused by the high-value and low-value distractors was similar. Furthermore, we found no evidence to support the possibility that dopamine replacement modulates the effect of reward on automatic attention allocation. Our results suggest a possible inability in Parkinson’s patients to use the reward value of stimuli when automatically allocating their attention, and raise the possibility that reward-driven allocation of resources may affect the adaptive modulation of other cognitive processes.

scholarly journals Grasp-Squeeze Adaptation to Changes in Object Compliance Leads to Dynamic Beta-Band Communication Between Primary Somatosensory and Motor Cortices

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
HUY CU ◽  
LAURIE LYNCH ◽  
KEVIN HUANG ◽  
WILSON TRUCCOLO ◽  
ARTO NURMIKKO
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Nonhuman Primates ◽  
Microelectrode Arrays ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Target Level ◽  
Beta Band ◽  
Cortical Areas ◽  
Short Period ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Brain

Abstract In asking the question of how the brain adapts to changes in the softness of manipulated objects, we studied dynamic communication between the primary sensory and motor cortical areas when nonhuman primates grasp and squeeze an elastically deformable manipulandum to attain an instructed force level. We focused on local field potentials recorded from S1 and M1 via intracortical microelectrode arrays. We computed nonparametric spectral Granger Causality to assess directed cortico-cortical interactions between these two areas. We demonstrate that the time-causal relationship between M1 and S1 is bidirectional in the beta-band (15-30Hz) and that this interareal communication develops dynamically as the subjects adjust the force of hand squeeze to reach the target level. In particular, the directed interaction is strongest when subjects are focused on maintaining the instructed force of hand squeeze in a steady state for several seconds. When the manipulandum’s compliance is abruptly changed, beta-band interareal communication is interrupted for a short period (~ 1 second) and then is re-established once the subject has reached a new steady state. These results suggest that transient beta oscillations can provide a communication subspace for dynamic cortico-cortical S1-M1 interactions during maintenance of steady sensorimotor states.

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