Orbitofrontal cortex populations are differentially recruited to support actions

Abstract

The ability to use information from ones prior actions is necessary for decision-making. While Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been hypothesized as key for inferences made using cue and value-related information, whether OFC populations contribute to the use of information from volitional actions to guide behavior is not clear. Here, we used a self-paced lever-press hold down task in which mice infer prior lever press durations to guide subsequent action performance. We show that activity of genetically identified lateral OFC subpopulations differentially instantiate current and prior action information during ongoing action execution. Transient state-dependent lOFC circuit disruptions of specified subpopulations reduced the encoding of ongoing press durations but did not disrupt the use of prior action information to guide future action performance. In contrast, a chronic functional loss of lOFC circuit activity resulted in increased reliance on recently executed lever press durations and impaired contingency reversal, suggesting the recruitment of compensatory mechanisms that resulted in repetitive action control. Our results identify a novel role for lOFC in the integration of action information to guide adaptive behavior.