Orbitofrontal cortex

…with goal-directed behavior (the orbitofrontal cortex, OFC) and navigation (the retrosplenial cortex, RSC), orchestrates the transition between competing goals during navigation. To explore this, we designed a virtual-reality maze task for two Rhesus monkeys, wher

Counterfactual information, or the mental representation of alternative outcomes, plays a critical role in value-based decision-making by allowing individuals to evaluate both chosen and unchosen options. Aberrant counterfactual processing is linked to psychiatric disorders like major depressive disorder (MDD). While the neural encoding of counterfactual outcomes is established, the mechanisms by which this feedback affects future decision-making are less clear. Using human intracranial electrophysiology, we show that counterfactual feedback influences subsequent choice behavior through beta o

Primates possess sophisticated social cognitive abilities, interpreting complex social cues and producing adaptive behaviors in real-time. These abilities are thought to rely on distributed circuits spanning sensory, limbic, and prefrontal brain regions. Despite some progress in identifying neural correlates of specific social features, such as gaze and social rank, a comprehensive computational framework linking social perception to behavior remains elusive; at least in part due to the high dimensionality of both the input space (complex social scenes) and the output space (diverse behavioral

…interaction between amygdala, frontal cortex, and striatum is critical for this type of learning. Here, we conducted neurophysiology recordings and applied computational approaches to understand how activity in this circuit varies when choice and reward are separated in time, intentionally decreasing animals’ ability to associate the two together. We trained 3 rhesus macaques to perform a probabilistic reward-learning task. In each session, animals learn the probabi

The mammalian Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) has been suggested to modulate sensory information processing across multiple cortical regions via long-range axonal projections. These axonal projections arise from discrete PFC subregions with unique brain-wide connectivity and functional repertoires, which may provide the architecture for modular feedback intended to shape sensory processing. Here, we used axonal tracing, axonal and somatic 2-photon calcium imaging, and chemogenetic manipulations in mice to delineate how projections from the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACA) and ventrolateral Orbitofronta

Abstraction and generalization are essential for flexible decision-making in novel situations. Recent work in humans and monkeys has shown how abstract variables are encoded by the representational geometry of single-neuron population activity in a format that supports generalization. However, these observations typically are made after learning has converged, leaving open the question of how these representations form. We designed the present study to tackle this question. We developed a factorized model of temporal abstraction that builds on the successor representation and is motivated by r

…The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) plays a key role in decision-making and has been shown to perform metacognitive computations such as post-decision confidence, i.e. the probability of being correct given the subjective evidence. How and where OFC calculations of decision confidence are output to other cortical and sub-cortical circuits is as yet unclear.Here we examined the activity of neurons in the OFC of rats, while they were performing an auditory choice task wi

…neural reward systems such as the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) have been implicated in social information processing, it is not well understood how more complex social factors, such as the motivation behind a social partner’s decision, are integrated into neural valuation signals that underlie one’s own prefere

High-frequency oscillations (HFOs) reflect rapid, synchronized bursts of neuronal assembly in frequencies extending beyond the traditional gamma bands and provide a testable mechanism for encoding and recalling specific memory items by neuronal assemblies in a given brain region. We explored the role of ripple frequency HFOs (80-200Hz) during verbal word-screening (WS) and free-recall (FR) memory tasks in 20 patients. We statistically determined HFO active channels and responses to a set of 180 words in the WS to compare HFO responses to the same words in the FR. Channels with active and inact

…Different regions of the prefrontal cortex, such as the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), are known to be differentially involved; yet, their complementary roles in behavioral flexibility remain unclear. In order to dissect their relative contributions, we developed a reversal learning task using Freibox, a custom-built, open-source platform for behavioral experiments. Reversal learning performance in this task depends on the OFC, which we demon

This study examined the long-term effects of low social status on adult prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HIPPO) structure, functional connectivity and cognitive function using a translational rhesus monkey model.Twenty seven female rhesus monkeys (13 dominant -DOM-, 14 subordinate -SUB-) received structural- and resting-state functional MRI scans to examine the volume of and functional connectivity (FC) between HIPPO and PFC subregions important for executive function, working memory and reward monitoring (dorsolateral PFC(dlPFC) -Area 46-; orbitofrontal cortex(OFC) -Area 13-; medial PFC(

…Here, we investigated the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and its thalamic inputs in behavioral flexibility. This study combined behavioral approaches and in vivo electrophysiology in anesthetized rats. First, we assessed flexibility with a set-shifting task. This procedure alternates between visual discrimination rules and response discrimination rules. An individu

…We recently identified that the orbitofrontal cortex plays an important role in signalling contextual switches in human tactile reversal learning. However, the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie such signals during behavioural flexibility remain unclear. To investigate this, we designed a probabilistic tactile ‘Go/No-go’ reversal learning task and simultaneously recorded brain-wide EEG responses from healthy participants. Participants first learned to associate specific braille stimuli with ‘Go’

…of pyramidal neurons in the sensory cortex, but the exact nature of this interaction remains poorly understood. Long-range orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) projections were found to respond to changes in task contingency, targeting somatostatin-expressing (SST+) neurons in the sensory cortex. We suggest that the apical gain modulation reflects the stimulus value, i.e. the future reward e

Although much work has been devoted to studying the function of molecularly-defined subtypes of GABAergic interneurons in circuits and behaviors, it has been debated if cells belonging to the same molecular and morphological type, for example parvalbumin-expressing basket cells, do homogeneously engage in circuit operations in behaving animals. This can only be studied if the identity of the recorded cell is unambiguously determined. We have established a method to optotag juxtacellularly-recorded neurons in freely-moving rats performing a decision-making task to investigate the operational he

The correlation between cognitive function, mood states, and driving behavior remains unclear. Hence, we aimed to explore this relationship objectively, by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In a cross-sectional design, 28 male 20 to 30-year-old drivers were randomly included in the study. Each participant drove virtually in an fMRI-compatible driving simulator, after auditory and visual induction of positive, negative, and neutral mood; and fMRI was performed meanwhile to explore brain activity alterations. The analysis was performed using SPM software by performing seed-based conn

Human dietary preferences vary highly between individuals yet also conform to common principles. However, the neural encoding of specific nutrient and oral-sensory food properties and related decision-making are poorly understood. This investigation of human food choice sought to elucidate these mechanisms by utilising behavioural and neuroimaging techniques while participants tasted, evaluated, and selected specifically designed liquid foods, where food information was derived exclusively from oral sampling. Healthy, human participants (N = 42) provided valuations (as willingness-to-pay (WTP)

…performance in the primary olfactory cortex, we found two non-overlapping neuronal subpopulations that encoded the odor-probability contingencies. One subset of neurons ramped its firing rate between the cue and the predicted odor onse

…Previous studies have implicated the orbitofrontal cortex in representing an animal's destination, and the hippocampus in representing its own position as well as goal-directed paths. We hypothesize that interactions between these re

…while learning a task and how the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) contributes to such strategy-based learning remains understudied. To investigate this, we trained mice on a tactile reversal learning task and implemented a trial-resolution Bayesian evidence accumulation model to measure the probability of the strategies used. We analysed multiple exploratory strategies across key task-learning phases and subsequently aft

…Single neurons in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) typically encode relevant variables for making decisions such as sensory uncertainty and economic value. However, it is unclear whether this neural tuning is idiosyncratic to a specific behavioral context. We investigated to what extent encoding in OFC neural dynamics generalize across contexts, or are context-specific, by analyzing chronic Neuropixels recordings over consecutive sessions in which rats performed two related, but distinct, decision-making tasks. In

Dysregulation in the cortico-striatal circuits has been shown to be related to pathologic repetitive behaviors but the underlying dysfunctional mechanisms at the microcircuit level remain under investigation. A key element that regulate the striatal output iare striatal parvalbumin (PV) interneurons which exert a powerful feedforward inhibition on medium spiny neurons. To investigate the role of PV interneurons in regulating aberrant striatal activity observed in repetitive behaviors, we used the Sapap3 mutant mice, which exhibit excessive self-grooming. Using optogenetics activation of PV int

Serotonin has been linked to a broad array of behavioral and affective states, yet technological limitations have historically constrained the interrogation of this circuitry. Originating from the raphe nuclei, the serotonin system exhibits distinct projections to both cortical and subcortical networks, engaging in widespread communication with downstream targets. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are among the most commonly prescribed pharmacological treatments for depression/anxiety, yet it is mostly unknown how they impact endogenous serotonin function. Notably, SSRIs take app

…The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is a main region for action-reward updating and flexible behaviors, is likely to play in this process. Our study aimed to investigate the role of the OFC in decision-making under risk. We developed a task requiring rats to choose between a safe option leading to a modest gain and a risky option which may earn a larger, but not guaranteed reward. Different probabilities were associated with the risky option so tha