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Cortical neurons multiplex reward-related signals along with sensory and motor information.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Ramakrishnan, A; Byun, YW; Rand, K; Pedersen, CE; Lebedev, MA; Nicolelis, MAL
Published in: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
June 13, 2017

Rewards are known to influence neural activity associated with both motor preparation and execution. This influence can be exerted directly upon the primary motor (M1) and somatosensory (S1) cortical areas via the projections from reward-sensitive dopaminergic neurons of the midbrain ventral tegmental areas. However, the neurophysiological manifestation of reward-related signals in M1 and S1 are not well understood. Particularly, it is unclear how the neurons in these cortical areas multiplex their traditional functions related to the control of spatial and temporal characteristics of movements with the representation of rewards. To clarify this issue, we trained rhesus monkeys to perform a center-out task in which arm movement direction, reward timing, and magnitude were manipulated independently. Activity of several hundred cortical neurons was simultaneously recorded using chronically implanted microelectrode arrays. Many neurons (9-27%) in both M1 and S1 exhibited activity related to reward anticipation. Additionally, neurons in these areas responded to a mismatch between the reward amount given to the monkeys and the amount they expected: A lower-than-expected reward caused a transient increase in firing rate in 60-80% of the total neuronal sample, whereas a larger-than-expected reward resulted in a decreased firing rate in 20-35% of the neurons. Moreover, responses of M1 and S1 neurons to reward omission depended on the direction of movements that led to those rewards. These observations suggest that sensorimotor cortical neurons corepresent rewards and movement-related activity, presumably to enable reward-based learning.

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Published In

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

Publication Date

June 13, 2017

Volume

114

Issue

24

Start / End Page

E4841 / E4850

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Somatosensory Cortex
  • Signal Transduction
  • Reward
  • Neurons
  • Movement
  • Motor Cortex
  • Male
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Learning
  • Female
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Ramakrishnan, A., Byun, Y. W., Rand, K., Pedersen, C. E., Lebedev, M. A., & Nicolelis, M. A. L. (2017). Cortical neurons multiplex reward-related signals along with sensory and motor information. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 114(24), E4841–E4850. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1703668114
Ramakrishnan, Arjun, Yoon Woo Byun, Kyle Rand, Christian E. Pedersen, Mikhail A. Lebedev, and Miguel A. L. Nicolelis. “Cortical neurons multiplex reward-related signals along with sensory and motor information.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 114, no. 24 (June 13, 2017): E4841–50. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1703668114.
Ramakrishnan A, Byun YW, Rand K, Pedersen CE, Lebedev MA, Nicolelis MAL. Cortical neurons multiplex reward-related signals along with sensory and motor information. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Jun 13;114(24):E4841–50.
Ramakrishnan, Arjun, et al. “Cortical neurons multiplex reward-related signals along with sensory and motor information.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, vol. 114, no. 24, June 2017, pp. E4841–50. Pubmed, doi:10.1073/pnas.1703668114.
Ramakrishnan A, Byun YW, Rand K, Pedersen CE, Lebedev MA, Nicolelis MAL. Cortical neurons multiplex reward-related signals along with sensory and motor information. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Jun 13;114(24):E4841–E4850.
Journal cover image

Published In

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

Publication Date

June 13, 2017

Volume

114

Issue

24

Start / End Page

E4841 / E4850

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Somatosensory Cortex
  • Signal Transduction
  • Reward
  • Neurons
  • Movement
  • Motor Cortex
  • Male
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Learning
  • Female