Topic: working memory maintenance

Successful execution of complex decision-making tasks requires identification and processing of multiple sources of uncertainty, such as sensory uncertainty, mapping uncertainty and outcome uncertainty. The mediodorsal (MD) thalamus is a critical partner for the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in cognitive flexibility and resolving uncertainty in decision making [1,2]. Animal experiments have shown that the MD enhances prefrontal signal-to-noise ratio in decision making under uncertainty [3]. However, the computational mechanisms by which the MD enhances prefrontal activity in decision making under un

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder known for its positive symptoms: delusions and hallucinations. However, the impact of schizophrenia on function is mostly due to its executive dysfunction. Mechanistically, it is known that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is dysfunctional in this disorder and that there is a general excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) imbalance in the schizophrenia brain. However, whether schizophrenia executive dysfunction can be specifically attributed to prefrontal E/I imbalance is unknown. Here, through a series of experiments across schizophrenia-relevant mouse models, we show the