Medial prefrontal cortex lesions in mice do not impair effort-based decision making

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Comparative Psychology
• Behavioral Neuroscience

Background:

• The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is crucial for effort-based decision-making in rats.
• This function is often assumed to be conserved across rodent species.
• Understanding these mechanisms is vital for modeling neurological conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of the mPFC in effort-based decision-making in mice.
• To develop a mouse model for studying effort-based decision-making in neurological disorders.
• To compare mPFC function in effort-based decision-making between mice and rats.

Main Methods:

• Mice were trained on a T-maze task involving choices between low-effort/low-reward and high-effort/high-reward options.
• Surgical lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex were performed after training.
• Behavioral performance on the T-maze task was assessed post-lesion.

Main Results:

• Contrary to rat studies, medial prefrontal cortex lesions did not alter mice's choice behavior in the effort-based decision-making task.
• Lesioned mice continued to prefer the high-reward/high-effort option.
• Pathology extent and anxiety-like behaviors were consistent with previous mouse studies.

Conclusions:

• Rodent medial prefrontal cortex plays a differential role in effort-based decision-making between mice and rats.
• Species-specific models are necessary for accurate interpretation of neurological and behavioral data.
• Caution is advised when extrapolating findings from one rodent species to another.