Regulation of Decision Threshold by the Locus Coeruleus

A fundamental challenge for decision-making under uncertainty lies in regulating the balance between speed and accuracy. Humans and animals solve this problem by adjusting their decision thresholds - the criterion that determines how much information is required before committing to a choice. While brain regions associated with this process have been identified, the neural circuits able to directly alter decision thresholds remain to be identified. Here we investigate the role of the locus coeruleus (LC) norepinephrine (NE) system in controlling the balance between speed and accuracy during decision making. Through cell-type specific chemogenetic manipulations, we discovered that LC-NE activation increased decision thresholds. We further demonstrated that this effect is replicated by systemic administration of the α2 adrenergic receptor (α2 AR) agonist, clonidine. Notably, α2 AR activation drove changes in decision threshold specifically, without reproducing other LC-NE activation effects such as promoting task engagement. Together, these results suggest that LC-NE regulates decision thresholds via activation of downstream α2 ARs.

LC-NE activation increases reaction time and accuracy of perceptual decisionsBehavioral effects are consistent with an elevation of decision thresholdsHeightened decision thresholds are replicated by selective activation of α2 ARsActivation of LC-NE and α2 ARs differently alter task engagement.