Neurons in posterior cingulate cortex signal exploratory decisions in a dynamic multioption choice task

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Decision Science

Background:

• Adaptive behavior requires balancing exploitation and exploration in dynamic environments.
• Previous research implicated several brain regions but lacked understanding of neuronal mechanisms for strategy selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of the posterior cingulate cortex (CGp) in integrating variables for strategic decision-making.
• To understand the neuronal mechanisms underlying the balance between exploration and exploitation.

Main Methods:

• Recording neuronal activity in the CGp of monkeys performing a dynamic foraging task.
• Analyzing CGp neuron firing rates in relation to exploratory and exploitative decisions.

Main Results:

• CGp neurons were found to distinguish between exploratory and exploitative decisions.
• The firing rates of CGp neurons graded the likelihood of upcoming strategy selection.
• This encoding was independent of target switching and absolute reward magnitude.

Conclusions:

• The posterior cingulate cortex (CGp) plays a crucial role in integrating diverse variables for dynamic strategy modification.
• CGp neurons contribute to balancing exploitation and exploration by integrating outcomes and environmental statistics.