Maith Oliver, Apenburg Dave, Hamker Fred
Department of Computer Science, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany.
Eur J Neurosci. 2025 May;61(9):e70130. doi: 10.1111/ejn.70130.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) within the basal ganglia is a widely used therapeutic intervention for neurological disorders; however, its precise mechanisms of action remain unclear. This study investigates how DBS may affect decision-making processes through computational modeling of the basal ganglia. A rate-coded model incorporating direct, indirect, and hyperdirect pathways was utilized alongside a cortico-thalamic shortcut known for promoting habitual behavior. Simulations of a two-choice reward reversal learning task were conducted to replicate data from patients with dystonia in ON and OFF DBS conditions. We demonstrate that plasticity in the cortico-thalamic shortcut, which bypasses the basal ganglia, is crucial for reproducing the patients' behavioral data, emphasizing the role of habit formation. Simulated DBS increased habitual behavior following reward reversal. Integrating different DBS mechanisms revealed that suppression of stimulated neurons, stimulation of efferent axons, and a combined variant promoted habitual behavior. Analyses of thalamic inputs showed that, despite differing effects on the model's activity and plasticity, these DBS variants consistently reduced the influence of the basal ganglia while enhancing the role of the cortico-thalamic shortcut. Notably, the DBS variants were distinguishable by their divergent behavioral effects following discontinued stimulation. These findings underscore the potential multifaceted effects of DBS on decision-making processes. In particular, our model proposes that DBS modulates the balance between reward-guided and habitual behavior.
基底神经节内的深部脑刺激（DBS）是一种广泛应用于神经系统疾病的治疗干预手段；然而，其确切的作用机制仍不清楚。本研究通过对基底神经节进行计算建模，探讨DBS如何影响决策过程。利用一个包含直接、间接和超直接通路的速率编码模型，以及一条以促进习惯性行为而闻名的皮质-丘脑捷径。进行了一项二选一奖励反转学习任务的模拟，以复制肌张力障碍患者在DBS开启和关闭状态下的数据。我们证明，绕过基底神经节的皮质-丘脑捷径中的可塑性对于再现患者的行为数据至关重要，强调了习惯形成的作用。模拟的DBS在奖励反转后增加了习惯性行为。整合不同的DBS机制表明，抑制受刺激神经元、刺激传出轴突以及一种组合变体都促进了习惯性行为。对丘脑输入的分析表明，尽管对模型的活动和可塑性有不同影响，但这些DBS变体一致地减少了基底神经节的影响，同时增强了皮质-丘脑捷径的作用。值得注意的是，这些DBS变体在停止刺激后的行为效应不同，可以区分。这些发现强调了DBS对决策过程潜在的多方面影响。特别是，我们的模型提出DBS调节奖励引导行为和习惯性行为之间的平衡。
