Department of Neurobiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
Neuron. 2011 May 26;70(4):731-41. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.03.026.
Knowledge about hypothetical outcomes from unchosen actions is beneficial only when such outcomes can be correctly attributed to specific actions. Here we show that during a simulated rock-paper-scissors game, rhesus monkeys can adjust their choice behaviors according to both actual and hypothetical outcomes from their chosen and unchosen actions, respectively. In addition, neurons in both dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex encoded the signals related to actual and hypothetical outcomes immediately after they were revealed to the animal. Moreover, compared to the neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex, those in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were more likely to change their activity according to the hypothetical outcomes from specific actions. Conjunctive and parallel coding of multiple actions and their outcomes in the prefrontal cortex might enhance the efficiency of reinforcement learning and also contribute to their context-dependent memory.
只有当未选择的行动的假设结果可以正确归因于特定的行动时，关于这些结果的知识才是有益的。在这里，我们展示了在模拟石头剪刀布游戏中，恒河猴可以根据他们选择和未选择的行动的实际和假设结果分别调整他们的选择行为。此外，在动物被告知结果后，背外侧前额叶皮层和眶额皮层中的神经元分别对与实际和假设结果相关的信号进行了编码。此外，与眶额皮层中的神经元相比，背外侧前额叶皮层中的神经元更有可能根据特定行动的假设结果改变它们的活动。前额叶皮层中对多个行动及其结果的联合和并行编码可能会提高强化学习的效率，并有助于它们的上下文记忆。
