How Brain Cells Help Us Choose and Reject Actions
Author Information
Author(s): Yoshida Atsushi, Hikosaka Okihide
Primary Institution: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health
Hypothesis
Do individual SNr neurons in primates bidirectionally modulate activity to facilitate and suppress actions?
Conclusion
The study found that glutamatergic inputs to the lateral SNr are crucial for action suppression in primates.
Supporting Evidence
- SNr neurons showed decreased firing rates during target selection and increased rates during rejection.
- Pharmacological blockade of glutamatergic inputs disrupted saccadic control.
- 91.5% of SNr neurons exhibited bidirectional modulation in response to good and bad objects.
Takeaway
This study shows that certain brain cells help us decide when to act and when to hold back, which is important for making good choices.
Methodology
Electrophysiological recordings were conducted on SNr neurons in macaque monkeys performing a sequential choice task, with pharmacological blockade of glutamatergic inputs.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in the selection of tasks and the small sample size of monkeys.
Limitations
The study was limited to three male macaque monkeys, which may not represent broader species differences.
Participant Demographics
Three male macaque monkeys (Macaca mulatta), aged 8-10 kg.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 0.53–0.92
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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