Interneuron-specific gamma synchronization indexes cue uncertainty and prediction errors in lateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex

eLife

Kianoush Banaie Boroujeni¹  Thilo Womelsdorf²  Paul Tiesinga³ 

[1] Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States;Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States;Department of Biology, Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Canada;Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands;

关键词: reversal learning;    cognitive flexibility;    reinforcement learning;    feature-based attention;    nonhuman primates;    cell types;    Rhesus macaque;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.69111

来源: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

【 摘 要 】

Inhibitory interneurons are believed to realize critical gating functions in cortical circuits, but it has been difficult to ascertain the content of gated information for well-characterized interneurons in primate cortex. Here, we address this question by characterizing putative interneurons in primate prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex while monkeys engaged in attention demanding reversal learning. We find that subclasses of narrow spiking neurons have a relative suppressive effect on the local circuit indicating they are inhibitory interneurons. One of these interneuron subclasses showed prominent firing rate modulations and (35–45 Hz) gamma synchronous spiking during periods of uncertainty in both, lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In LPFC, this interneuron subclass activated when the uncertainty of attention cues was resolved during flexible learning, whereas in ACC it fired and gamma-synchronized when outcomes were uncertain and prediction errors were high during learning. Computational modeling of this interneuron-specific gamma band activity in simple circuit motifs suggests it could reflect a soft winner-take-all gating of information having high degree of uncertainty. Together, these findings elucidate an electrophysiologically characterized interneuron subclass in the primate, that forms gamma synchronous networks in two different areas when resolving uncertainty during adaptive goal-directed behavior.

【 授权许可】

CC BY