美国贝勒医学院Nuo Li团队近期取得重要工作进展，他们研究发现丘脑驱动的额叶皮层功能群体支持决策。相关工作2022年9月28日在线发表于《自然—神经科学》杂志上。

研究人员检查了小鼠运动前外侧运动皮层中与底层回路相关的触觉决策活动。与随机混合选择性的概念相反，对20,000个神经元的分析揭示了有组织的活动编码行为。个体神经元表现出可在小鼠中重复的典型反应图谱。刺激、选择和行动由不同的神经元群体非随机编码，这些神经元群体可以通过它们的反应谱来描述。研究人员将不同的选择性与来自体感皮层、对侧前外侧运动皮层和丘脑的长程输入联系起来。每种输入都连接到所有功能群体，但强度不同。任务选择性对丘脑输入的依赖性大于对皮质-皮层输入的依赖性。他们的研究结果表明，丘脑驱动额叶皮层内的子网络，编码决策的不同特征。

据介绍，额叶皮层神经元在决策过程中表现出不同的选择性，分别代表感觉、运动和认知变量。这种复杂选择性的神经环路基础尚不清楚。

附：英文原文

Title: Thalamus-driven functional populations in frontal cortex support decision-making

Author: Yang, Weiguo, Tipparaju, Sri Laasya, Chen, Guang, Li, Nuo

Issue&Volume: 2022-09-28

Abstract: Neurons in frontal cortex exhibit diverse selectivity representing sensory, motor and cognitive variables during decision-making. The neural circuit basis for this complex selectivity remains unclear. We examined activity mediating a tactile decision in mouse anterior lateral motor cortex in relation to the underlying circuits. Contrary to the notion of randomly mixed selectivity, an analysis of 20,000 neurons revealed organized activity coding behavior. Individual neurons exhibited prototypical response profiles that were repeatable across mice. Stimulus, choice and action were coded nonrandomly by distinct neuronal populations that could be delineated by their response profiles. We related distinct selectivity to long-range inputs from somatosensory cortex, contralateral anterior lateral motor cortex and thalamus. Each input connects to all functional populations but with differing strength. Task selectivity was more strongly dependent on thalamic inputs than cortico-cortical inputs. Our results suggest that the thalamus drives subnetworks within frontal cortex coding distinct features of decision-making.

DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01171-w

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-022-01171-w