Visualization and decoding of decision-making information from neuronal activities

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26330266
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Intelligent informatics
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: MATSUMOTO Narihisa 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 情報・人間工学領域, 主任研究員 (00392663)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SHIDARA Munetaka 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 教授 (10357189)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 意思決定 / 前頭葉 / ニューロン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We studied the role of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in this type of decision making during a choice task varying reward amount and work or time to reward. We recorded neurons and found them coding for aspects of choice-related values. Neuronal activity in OFC represented reward value in various combinations of difference in or sum of value of offered alternatives. We then reversibly inactivated a small regions of OFC rich in neurons coding for choice-related values. During the period of pharmacological OFC inactivation by muscimol the monkeys were both slower to choose and more likely to choose the less valuable option, especially when the difference in value between the two options was small. Thus, OFC neurons code for information that could be used to guide choices, and inactivating this tissue suggests that these signals have a direct influence on the choice behavior.

Free Research Field

計算論的神経科学