Topic: PMd

Finding the right amount of deliberation, between insufficient and excessive, is a hard decision-making problem that depends on the value we place on our time. Average reward, putatively encoded by tonic dopamine, serves in existing reinforcement learning (RL) theory as the stationary opportunity cost of time. This cost often varies with context, however, which changes over time. Current RL approaches thus do not efficiently handle task non-stationarity. Yet, the brain's representation of and computation with time's value, including its impact on the neural dynamics of deliberation, must accou

When we are able to prepare in advance of a movement, the subsequent movements generally get better. Motor cortical activity during preparation has been studied extensively, showing clear relationships between the neural population state achieved during preparation and the parameters of the subsequent self-initiated movement. However, movements are often triggered or corrected based on disturbances to the body or environment. Since such disturbances can often be predicted based on experience or other streams of sensory input, we reasoned that sensory expectations should also shape preparatory

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) gives rise to new neurons throughout life. This phenomenon takes place in more than 120 mammalian species, including humans, yet its occurrence in the latter was questioned after a putative absence of neurogenesis markers in the adult human hippocampus was suggested. In this regard, we showed that prolonged fixation impedes the visualization of Doublecortin+ immature neurons in this structure, whereas a dilated post-mortem delay (PMD) has been suggested to underlie these discrepancies. Nevertheless, the individual and/or additive contribution of fixation an