Causal Neural Mechanisms for Decision Making: Putting Rules into Context

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Rule learning is pivotal to living in the world. The rules we learn often only apply to certain situations; X does not always define Y, sometimes the presence of an additional variable is required. The question, therefore, is how does a natural system, like the brain, learn and remember these rules and generalise them to new situations?The aim of this project is to understand how the brain learns and makes decisions under different contextual situations. The project itself will involve designing and implementing a computationally informed paradigm in both primates and rodents. Then we will assess the animals' behavioural choices and how they are guided by rules or context. Subsequently with the use of an innovative technique called transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS), brain function in primates will be modulated to identify brain areas that are required for rule/context learning. Parallel work in rodents will identify evolutionary origins and the dependence on the hippocampus and frontal systems for context guided rule learning, providing vital information from two key laboratory animals.This knowledge is highly relevant for humans with frontal or hippocampal cognitive impairment and may lead to better artificially intelligent systems, which currently inefficiently learn every rule under every context. The research will also enhance understanding concerning disorders that involve maladaptation of memory and cognition, thereby improving health and wellbeing across the lifecourse, reducing the need for medical and social interventions.