Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
J Neurosci. 2018 May 9;38(19):4584-4597. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2579-17.2018. Epub 2018 Apr 16.
Ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is thought to provide regulatory control over Pavlovian fear responses and has recently been implicated in appetitive approach behavior, but much less is known about its role in contexts in which appetitive and aversive outcomes can be obtained and avoided, respectively. To address this issue, we recorded from single neurons in vmPFC while male rats performed our combined approach and avoidance task under reinforced and non-reinforced (extinction) conditions. Surprisingly, we found that cues predicting reward modulated cell firing in vmPFC more often and more robustly than cues preceding avoidable shock; in addition, firing of vmPFC neurons was both response (press or no-press) and outcome (reinforced or extinction) selective. These results suggest a complex role for vmPFC in regulating behavior and support its role in appetitive contexts during both reinforced and non-reinforced conditions. Selecting context-appropriate behaviors to gain reward or avoid punishment is critical for survival. Although the role of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in mediating fear responses is well established, vmPFC has also been implicated in the regulation of reward-guided approach and extinction. Many studies have used indirect methods and simple behavioral procedures to study vmPFC, which leaves the literature incomplete. We recorded vmFPC neural activity during a complex cue-driven combined approach and avoidance task and during extinction. Surprisingly, we found very little vmPFC modulation to cues predicting avoidable shock, whereas cues predicting reward approach robustly modulated vmPFC firing in a response- and outcome-selective manner. This suggests a more complex role for vmPFC than current theories suggest, specifically regarding context-specific behavioral optimization.
腹内侧前额叶皮层(vmPFC)被认为对条件性恐惧反应提供调节控制,并且最近与趋近行为有关,但对于在分别可以获得和避免正性和负性结果的情境中其作用知之甚少。为了解决这个问题,我们在雄性大鼠进行我们的联合趋近和回避任务时,在强化和非强化(消退)条件下记录 vmPFC 中的单个神经元活动。令人惊讶的是,我们发现,预测奖励的线索比预测可避免的电击的线索更频繁且更有力地调节 vmPFC 的细胞放电;此外,vmPFC 神经元的放电对反应(按压或不按压)和结果(强化或消退)都是选择性的。这些结果表明 vmPFC 在调节行为方面起着复杂的作用,并支持其在强化和非强化条件下的正性情境中的作用。选择适合情境的行为来获得奖励或避免惩罚对于生存至关重要。尽管腹内侧前额叶皮层(vmPFC)在介导恐惧反应中的作用已得到充分证实,但 vmPFC 也与奖励指导的趋近和消退的调节有关。许多研究使用间接方法和简单的行为程序来研究 vmPFC,这使得文献不完整。我们在一个复杂的线索驱动的联合趋近和回避任务以及消退期间记录 vmFPC 神经活动。令人惊讶的是,我们发现预测可避免的电击的线索几乎没有对 vmPFC 进行调节,而预测奖励趋近的线索则以反应和结果选择性的方式有力地调节 vmPFC 放电。这表明 vmPFC 的作用比当前理论所暗示的更复杂,特别是在特定情境的行为优化方面。
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015-7-28
J Neurosci. 2000-8-15
Front Behav Neurosci. 2022-7-5
Int Rev Neurobiol. 2021
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2020-11
Nat Rev Neurosci. 2020-3-12
Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2019-4
Neuropharmacology. 2017-12-11
Nat Neurosci. 2016-11-29
PLoS One. 2016-10-24
Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2016-4