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Leung BK, Chieng B, Becchi S, Balleine BW. A ventral pallidal-thalamocortical circuit mediates the cognitive control of instrumental action. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3315-3326.e6. [PMID: 38936365 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Predictive learning can engage a selective form of cognitive control that biases choice between actions based on information about future outcomes that the learning provides. This influence has been hypothesized to depend on a feedback circuit in the brain through which the basal ganglia modulate activity in the prefrontal cortex; however, direct evidence for this functional circuit has proven elusive. Here, using an animal model of cognitive control, we found that the influence of predictive learning on decision making is mediated by an inhibitory feedback circuit linking the medial ventral pallidum and the mediodorsal thalamus, the activation of which causes disinhibition of the orbitofrontal cortex via reduced activation of inhibitory parvalbumin interneurons during choice. Thus, we found that, for this function, the mediodorsal thalamus serves as a pallidal-cortical relay through which predictive learning controls action selection, which has important implications for understanding cognitive control and its vicissitudes in various psychiatric disorders and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice K Leung
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Billy Chieng
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Serena Becchi
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Bernard W Balleine
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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Qiu L, Qiu Y, Liao J, Li J, Zhang X, Chen K, Huang Q, Huang R. Functional specialization of medial and lateral orbitofrontal cortex in inferential decision-making. iScience 2024; 27:110007. [PMID: 38868183 PMCID: PMC11167445 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Inferring prospective outcomes and updating behavior are prerequisites for making flexible decisions in the changing world. These abilities are highly associated with the functions of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in humans and animals. The functional specialization of OFC subregions in decision-making has been established in animals. However, the understanding of how human OFC contributes to decision-making remains limited. Therefore, we studied this issue by examining the information representation and functional interactions of human OFC subregions during inference-based decision-making. We found that the medial OFC (mOFC) and lateral OFC (lOFC) collectively represented the inferred outcomes which, however, were context-general coding in the mOFC and context-specific in the lOFC. Furthermore, the mOFC-motor and lOFC-frontoparietal functional connectivity may indicate the motor execution of mOFC and the cognitive control of lOFC during behavioral updating. In conclusion, our findings support the dissociable functional roles of OFC subregions in decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Qiu
- School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yidan Qiu
- School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Jiajun Liao
- School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Jinhui Li
- School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Xiaoying Zhang
- School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Kemeng Chen
- School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Qinda Huang
- School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Ruiwang Huang
- School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
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Yang WF, Sparby T, Wright M, Kim E, Sacchet MD. Volitional mental absorption in meditation: Toward a scientific understanding of advanced concentrative absorption meditation and the case of jhana. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31223. [PMID: 38803854 PMCID: PMC11129010 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Meditation has been integral to human culture for millennia, deeply rooted in various spiritual and contemplative traditions. While the field of contemplative science has made significant steps toward understanding the effects of meditation on health and well-being, there has been little study of advanced meditative states, including those achieved through intense concentration and absorption. We refer to these types of states as advanced concentrative absorption meditation (ACAM), characterized by absorption with the meditation object leading to states of heightened attention, clarity, energy, effortlessness, and bliss. This review focuses on a type of ACAM known as jhana (ACAM-J) due to its well-documented history, systematic practice approach, recurring phenomenological themes, and growing popularity among contemplative scientists and more generally in media and society. ACAM-J encompasses eight layers of deep concentration, awareness, and internal experiences. Here, we describe the phenomenology of ACAM-J and present evidence from phenomenological and neuroscientific studies that highlight their potential applications in contemplative practices, psychological sciences, and therapeutics. We additionally propose theoretical ACAM-J frameworks grounded in current cognitive neuroscientific understanding of meditation and ancient contemplative traditions. We aim to stimulate further research on ACAM more broadly, encompassing advanced meditation including meditative development and meditative endpoints. Studying advanced meditation including ACAM, and specific practices such as ACAM-J, can potentially revolutionize our understanding of consciousness and applications for mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winson F.Z. Yang
- Meditation Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Terje Sparby
- Steiner University College, 0260, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, Witten/Herdecke University, 58448, Witten, Germany
- Integrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Psychology, Witten/Herdecke University, 58448, Witten, Germany
| | - Malcolm Wright
- School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
| | - Eunmi Kim
- Center for Contemplative Science, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Matthew D. Sacchet
- Meditation Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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McCane AM, Kronheim L, Torrado Pacheco A, Moghaddam B. Adolescents rats engage the orbitofrontal-striatal pathway differently than adults during impulsive actions. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8605. [PMID: 38615065 PMCID: PMC11016110 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58648-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is characterized by increased impulsive and risk-taking behaviors. To better understand the neural networks that subserves impulsivity in adolescents, we used a reward-guided behavioral model that quantifies age differences in impulsive actions in adult and adolescent rats of both sexes. Using chemogenetics, we identified orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) projections to the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) as a critical pathway for age-related execution of impulsive actions. Simultaneous recording of single units and local field potentials in the OFC and DMS during task performance revealed an overall muted response in adolescents during impulsive actions as well as age-specific differences in theta power and OFC-DMS functional connectivity. Collectively, these data reveal that the OFC-DMS pathway is critical for age-differences in reward-guided impulsive actions and provide a network mechanism to enhance our understanding of how adolescent and adult brains coordinate behavioral inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lo Kronheim
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Bita Moghaddam
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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Macedo-Lima M, Hamlette LS, Caras ML. Orbitofrontal Cortex Modulates Auditory Cortical Sensitivity and Sound Perception. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.18.570797. [PMID: 38187685 PMCID: PMC10769262 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.18.570797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Sensory perception is dynamic, quickly adapting to sudden shifts in environmental or behavioral context. Though decades of work have established that these dynamics are mediated by rapid fluctuations in sensory cortical activity, we have a limited understanding of the brain regions and pathways that orchestrate these changes. Neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) encode contextual information, and recent data suggest that some of these signals are transmitted to sensory cortices. Whether and how these signals shape sensory encoding and perceptual sensitivity remains uncertain. Here, we asked whether the OFC mediates context-dependent changes in auditory cortical sensitivity and sound perception by monitoring and manipulating OFC activity in freely moving animals under two behavioral contexts: passive sound exposure and engagement in an amplitude modulation (AM) detection task. We found that the majority of OFC neurons, including the specific subset that innervate the auditory cortex, were strongly modulated by task engagement. Pharmacological inactivation of the OFC prevented rapid context-dependent changes in auditory cortical firing, and significantly impaired behavioral AM detection. Our findings suggest that contextual information from the OFC mediates rapid plasticity in the auditory cortex and facilitates the perception of behaviorally relevant sounds. Significance Statement Sensory perception depends on the context in which stimuli are presented. For example, perception is enhanced when stimuli are informative, such as when they are important to solve a task. Perceptual enhancements result from an increase in the sensitivity of sensory cortical neurons; however, we do not fully understand how such changes are initiated in the brain. Here, we tested the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in controlling auditory cortical sensitivity and sound perception. We found that OFC neurons change their activity when animals perform a sound detection task. Inactivating OFC impairs sound detection and prevents task-dependent increases in auditory cortical sensitivity. Our findings suggest that the OFC controls contextual modulations of the auditory cortex and sound perception.
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Schreiner DC, Wright A, Baltz ET, Wang T, Cazares C, Gremel CM. Chronic alcohol exposure alters action control via hyperactive premotor corticostriatal activity. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112675. [PMID: 37342908 PMCID: PMC10468874 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) alters decision-making control over actions, but disruptions to the responsible neural circuit mechanisms are unclear. Premotor corticostriatal circuits are implicated in balancing goal-directed and habitual control over actions and show disruption in disorders with compulsive, inflexible behaviors, including AUD. However, whether there is a causal link between disrupted premotor activity and altered action control is unknown. Here, we find that mice chronically exposed to alcohol (chronic intermittent ethanol [CIE]) showed impaired ability to use recent action information to guide subsequent actions. Prior CIE exposure resulted in aberrant increases in the calcium activity of premotor cortex (M2) neurons that project to the dorsal medial striatum (M2-DMS) during action control. Chemogenetic reduction of this CIE-induced hyperactivity in M2-DMS neurons rescued goal-directed action control. This suggests a direct, causal relationship between chronic alcohol disruption to premotor circuits and decision-making strategy and provides mechanistic support for targeting activity of human premotor regions as a potential treatment in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew C Schreiner
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Andrew Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Emily T Baltz
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Tianyu Wang
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christian Cazares
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christina M Gremel
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Neuroscience: Action history and the orbitofrontal cortex. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R1231-R1233. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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