眶前额叶皮层－杏仁核神经环路对奖赏和厌恶工作记忆的编码

Everyday, we process and maintain information about rewarding and aversive outcomes while interacting with the environment. However, where and how affective-based working memory is implemented is still not well understood. Preliminary evidence shows that orbitofrontal cortex and the amygdala, two core areas for processing emotion also play important roles in maintaining and processing affective-based information in working memory. Combining non-human primate behavior and electrophysiology as well as computational modeling, we aim to uncover the contribution of orbitofrontal cortex – amygdala circuit to affective-based working memory. We would like to understand: 1) how affective-based working memory is encoded by orbitofrontal cortex – amygdala circuit; 2) how neurons encoding working memory for reward and aversion are distributed in the orbitofrontal cortex – amygdala circuit; 3) how orbitofrontal cortex and the amygdala interact with each other during maintenance of working memory for reward and aversion. This project will not only shine light on how neural circuits involved in processing emotion and working memory interact with each other but also provide us a more comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying affective-based working memory.

在日常生活中，我们的大脑不断地处理与奖赏和厌恶相关的信息，并常常需要将这类信息维持在工作记忆来指导抉择行为。然而奖赏和厌恶的工作记忆的神经机制尚不清楚。初步证据显示，眶前额皮层和杏仁核这两个情感神经环路的关键节点，也是对奖赏和厌恶的工作记忆有重要贡献的脑区。本项目将采用非人灵长类动物的行为、电生理实验以及计算建模，探索眶前额皮层－杏仁核神经环路对基于情感的工作记忆的编码。我们将具体探讨：1）眶前额皮层－杏仁核环路的神经元如何编码奖赏和厌恶的工作记忆。2）与编码工作记忆相关的神经元在眶前额皮层－杏仁核环路中如何分布； 3）眶前额皮层、杏仁核在基于奖赏和厌恶的工作记忆过程中有什么交互作用。研究奖赏和厌恶的工作记忆在眶前额皮层－杏仁核环路的表达会帮助我们进一步厘清情感和记忆的神经环路交互作用的关键节点；同时也会让我们对与基于情感的工作记忆相关的神经活动机制有更全面的认识。