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Interaction between cognitive and motor cortico-basal ganglia loops during decision making: a computational study
M Guthrie1, A Leblois, A Garenne
1Institut des Maladies Neurodegeneratives, Université Bordeaux-Segalen, UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France. martin.guthrie@u-bordeaux2.fr
Journal of Neurophysiology
|March 29, 2013
Summary
This study models how the basal ganglia perform multi-level action selection. Findings show cognitive decisions bias motor actions, with dopamine-modulated learning enabling noise-resilient, value-based selection.
Area of Science:
- Computational neuroscience
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Neurobiology
Background:
- Cortico-basal ganglia loops involve direct and hyperdirect pathways for action selection.
- Previous models focused on single-level action selection mechanisms.
- The basal ganglia's role in hierarchical decision-making remains an active area of research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate multi-level action selection within the basal ganglia.
- To model how cognitive and motor levels interact for decision-making.
- To explore the influence of noise and dopamine-modulated learning on action selection.
Main Methods:
- Extended a computational model of cortico-basal ganglia loops.
- Incorporated two-level decision-making (cognitive and motor).
- Simulated noise-driven processes and dopamine-modulated learning at corticostriatal synapses.
Main Results:
- Cognitive-level decisions can bias motor-level selections.
- Low excitability of striatal projection neurons is crucial for inter-level information transfer.
- Dopamine-modulated learning allows action selection based on learned cue values, overcoming initial noise interference.
Conclusions:
- The basal ganglia can implement hierarchical action selection.
- Network properties like neuronal excitability and noise play significant roles.
- Dopamine-modulated learning enables adaptive and robust decision-making in complex environments.
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