The representation of decision variables in orbitofrontal cortex is longitudinally stable

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Decision Science
• Computational Neuroscience

Background:

• The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is crucial for economic decision-making, processing subjective values of options.
• Distinct neuronal populations within the OFC encode choice inputs and outputs, forming a potential decision circuit.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the longitudinal stability of neuronal representations within the OFC during a value-based choice task.
• To determine if neuronal encoding of choice variables remains consistent over extended periods.

Main Methods:

• Utilized two-photon calcium imaging in mice performing a juice-choice task.
• Recorded neural activity from individual orbitofrontal cortex neurons over 40 weeks.
• Analyzed neuronal activity profiles using cosine similarity to assess representational stability and drift.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated high longitudinal stability in OFC neuronal activity and encoding of decision variables.
• Observed a modest representational drift, which is unlikely to randomize the circuit within an animal's lifespan.
• Identified distinct neuronal groups encoding option value, choice outcome, and chosen value.

Conclusions:

• The neuronal circuit within the orbitofrontal cortex is longitudinally stable, supporting its role as a fundamental decision-making circuit.
• The observed representational drift is slow, indicating reliable encoding of subjective values over time.
• Findings support the hypothesis that specific cell groups in the OFC act as building blocks for economic choice computation.