Probing the neural computations underlying goal-directed decision-making in humans with single-neuron recordings

通过单神经元记录探索人类目标导向决策背后的神经计算

基本信息

批准号：
10717875
负责人：
JOHN P O'DOHERTY
金额：
$ 43.83万
依托单位：
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2023
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2023-09-01 至 2028-07-31
项目状态：
未结题

项目摘要

Probing the neural computations underlying goal-directed decision-making in humans with single-neuron recordings MPIs: Dr. John P. O’Doherty and Dr. Ueli Rutishauser PROJECT SUMMARY Flexible goal-directed decision-making is a core aspect of higher-order adaptive biological intelligence. A number of psychiatric disorders involve impairments in goal-directed decision-making, yet the current lack of even a basic understanding of how goal-directed action selection is implemented at the neuronal level in humans hinders our ability to pinpoint these neuropsychiatric dysfunctions. In particular, it is completely unknown how goals, and the stimuli and actions that need to be selected from in order to pursue them, are represented at the level of single neurons, nor how goals get selected from available possible goals. Here we will characterize the functional contribution of human ventromedial prefrontal (vmPFC), dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) and pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) in these processes. We will first test the longstanding proposal never tested at the neuronal level in humans that the value of stimuli is especially represented by neurons in vmPFC, while the value of actions are more represented by neurons in dorsal cortical areas such as the pre-SMA. We will then address how goals themselves are represented. In the real world, animals including humans need to select a goal before any action is performed. Thus, there is a hierarchical process of goal selection followed by action selection. We hypothesize that the vmPFC plays a specific role in goal-valuation and selection, while neurons in dorsomedial areas including pre-SMA and dACC will play more of a role in valuing and selecting the actions that implement the chosen goal. Most decision-making studies focus either on action or stimulus selection, but don’t address how goals get selected in the first place. We will use bespoke behavioral tasks to allow us to distinguish between these different goal and action-related computations and analyze single neuron data simultaneously collected from these brain areas through the lens of computational reinforcement-learning models. The significance of this proposal is that we will gain for the first time, a comprehensive understanding of the functions of the human PFC in goal-directed decision-making at cellular resolution while shedding light on the neural mechanisms of goal-representation and selection which hitherto has been virtually unstudied. Consequently, the proposed project is highly significant in terms of the potential impact that will be made toward understanding the distinct role of different human PFC subregions in goal-directed decision-making.

用单神经元探索人类目标导向决策背后的神经计算录音 MPI：John P. O’Doherty 博士和 Ueli Rutishauser 博士项目概要灵活的目标导向决策是高阶自适应生物智能的核心方面。的精神疾病涉及目标导向决策的损害，但目前甚至缺乏基本的了解目标导向的行动选择是如何在人类神经水平上实施的会阻碍我们特别是，完全未知如何确定这些神经精神功能障碍的能力。为了追求它们而需要选择的刺激和行动，以单一的水平来表示神经元，以及如何从可用的可能目标中选择目标。在这里，我们将描述人类腹内侧前额叶 (vmPFC)、背侧叶的功能贡献我们将首先测试这些过程中的前扣带回（dACC）和前补充运动区（pre-SMA）。长期以来的提议从未在人类神经水平上进行过测试，即刺激的价值尤其重要由 vmPFC 的神经元代表，而动作的值更多由背侧皮质的神经元代表然后我们将讨论目标本身在现实世界中的表现方式。包括人类在内的动物在执行任何行动之前都需要选择一个目标，因此，存在一个层次结构。我们发现 vmPFC 在目标选择和行动选择的过程中发挥着特定的作用。目标评估和选择，而背内侧区域的神经元（包括前 SMA 和 dACC）将发挥更多作用大多数决策研究关注的重点是评估和选择实施所选目标的行动。无论是行动还是刺激选择，但首先不要解决我们将使用的目标如何选择。定制的行为任务使我们能够区分这些不同的目标和与动作相关的计算并通过透镜分析从这些大脑区域同时收集的单个神经元数据这个提议的意义在于我们将获得第一个收益。时间，全面了解人类 PFC 在目标导向决策中的功能细胞分辨率，同时揭示目标表征和选择的神经机制迄今为止，几乎尚未对其进行研究，但拟议的项目在以下方面具有非常重要的意义。将对理解不同人类 PFC 次区域的独特作用产生潜在影响以目标为导向的决策。