Biologically plausible mechanisms underlying motor response correction during reward-based decision-making

Abstract

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWOur propensity to acclimate to new surroundings and choose a goal-directed behavior for a maximal reward (i.e., optimal outcome) is natural, for it affects our survival. A line of studies suggested that anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) could be a potential hub for adaptive behaviors. For instance, an experimental study noted ACCs contribution to selecting motor responses for maximal rewards; it found 1) that ACC neurons were selectively activated when the reward was reduced and 2) that suppression of ACC activity impaired monkeys ability to change motor responses to obtain the maximal reward. To probe ACC functions in adaptive behaviors, we sought biologically-plausible mechanisms to account for the experimental findings mentioned above by utilizing a computational model. Our simulation results raise the possibility that ACC can correct behavioral responses by reading out and updating the motor plans (guiding future motor responses) stored in prefrontal cortex (PFC).