Biology subjects

Conen, K. E.

Publications and source records attributed to Conen, K. E..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Linking cross-species hemodynamics with neuronal activity in prefrontal cortex during abstract sequence viewing

The ability to identify and predict abstract sequential patterns enables a wide range of complex cognition and behavior, but the mechanisms mediating it remain poorly understood. Lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) has been implicated in abstract sequence tracking in both humans and macaques, but it is unclear whether underlying processes are shared across species. Furthermore, most existing evidence relies on hemodynamic responses, which can have variable relationships with neuronal activity in a region. We leverage a combination of human fMRI, monkey fMRI, and monkey electrophysiology to bridge these gaps. We find that humans and non-human primates show functionally homologous hemodynamic activation in LPFC during abstract sequence viewing, and neuronal responses within fMRI-targeted regions in macaques contain information about sensory and abstract variables in parallel. However, neuronal activity does not directly mirror hemodynamic responses, and abstract sequence responses are found both near and far from fMRI peaks. In contrast, distinct dynamics of spiking activity are selectively present near fMRI peaks, suggesting that temporal coordination across neurons may influence hemodynamic activity in prefrontal cortex. Together, these experiments establish a link between human brain activity, macaque fMRI, and single neuron responses, providing a window into the neural processes that mediate abstract sequence detection.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Values Encoded in Orbitofrontal Cortex Are Causally Related to Economic Choices

It has long been hypothesized that economic choices rely on the assignment and comparison of subjective values. Indeed, when agents make decisions, neurons in orbitofrontal cortex encode the values of offered and chosen goods. Moreover, neuronal activity in this area suggests the formation of a decision. However, it is unclear whether these neural processes are causally related to choices. More generally, the evidence linking economic choices to value signals in the brain remains correlational. We address this fundamental issue using electrical stimulation in rhesus monkeys. We show that suitable currents bias choices by increasing the value of individual offers. Furthermore, high-current stimulation disrupts both the computation and the comparison of subjective values. These results demonstrate that values encoded in orbitofrontal cortex are causal to economic choices.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2017

Neuronal adaptation and optimal coding in economic decisions

During economic decisions, neurons in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) encode the values of offered goods. Importantly, their responses adapt to the range of values available in any given context. Prima facie, range adaptation seems to provide an efficient representation. However, uncorrected adaptation in the encoding of offer values would induce arbitrary choice biases. Thus a fundamental and open question is whether range adaptation is behaviorally advantageous. Here we present a theory of optimal coding for economic decisions. In a nutshell, the representation of offer values is optimal if it ensures maximal expected payoff. In this framework, we examine the activity of offer value cells in non-human primates. We show that their firing rates are quasi-linear functions of the offered values, even when optimal tuning functions would be highly non-linear. Most importantly, we demonstrate that for linear tuning functions range adaptation maximizes the expected payoff, even if the effects of adaptation are corrected to avoid choice biases. Thus value coding in OFC is functionally rigid (linear tuning) but parametrically plastic (range adaptation with optimal gain). Importantly, the benefit of range adaptation outweighs the cost of functional rigidity. While generally suboptimal, linear tuning may facilitate transitive choices.

neuroscience↗