Chemogenetic dissection of the primate prefronto-subcortical pathways for adaptive behavior

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K15353
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 51020:Cognitive and brain science-related
• Research Institution: National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Oyama Kei 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 量子医科学研究所 脳機能イメージング研究部, 研究員 (50615250)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 霊長類 / 化学遺伝学 / 前頭前野 / 大脳基底核 / 視床

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we investigated the functional roles of orbitofrontal cortex and its projections to subcortical structures in adaptive behavior. We found that the pathway from the OFC to the caudate nuclues is involved in value updating in a model-free manner, and the pathway from the OFC to the mediodorsal thalamus in rule shift in a model-based manner. These results suggest that projections from OFC to subcortical structures play different roles in adaptive behavior.

Free Research Field

システム神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果は霊長類前頭前野を中心とした神経経路の機能的役割を明らかにした基礎脳科学的成果に加え、霊長類脳機能を探索する上での新奇な方法論の確立、および当該神経経路の破綻が原因と目されている精神疾患の治療法の確立に向けて重要な知見を提供した。