Neural encoding of reward and safety

在一个危险的世界里，预测安全的能力是最重要的。安全预测方面的缺陷将导致 一个人表现得好像危险一直存在；而这种预测能力的过度功能将导致一个人 在不存在危险的情况下才能表现出来。鉴于奖励和安全的共同、积极的意义， 假设奖励预测和安全预测共享一个共同的神经编码。基底外侧 杏仁核(BLA)和VS是大脑中涉及奖赏预测信号的两个区域。该计划的目标是 建议的ROO阶段是揭示BLA和VS在安全方面的角色；学习由省略驱动 令人厌恶的事件。为此，将使用神经毒性损伤来描述BLA和VS的贡献 通过对巴甫洛夫式恐惧的条件性抑制来预测安全性。然后将使用单单元记录 以(1)检查支持安全性预测的BLA和VS神经活动，以及(2)比较活动支持 对支持奖励预测的活动进行安全预测。

In a dangerous world, the ability to predict safety is paramount. Impairments in predicting safety would lead one to behave as if danger was ever present; while hyperfunction of this predictive capacity would lead one to behave is if danger was nonexistent. Given the shared, positive significance of reward and safety it is hypothesized that reward prediction and safety prediction share a common neural encoding. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and VS are two brain areas implicated in signaling reward prediction. The objective of the ROO phase of the proposal is to uncover roles for the BLA and VS in safety; learning driven by the omission of aversive events. To this end neurotoxic lesions will be used to describe contributions of the BLA and VS to safety prediction through conditioned inhibition of Pavlovian fear. Single-unit recording will then be used to (1) examine BLA and VS neural activity supporting safety prediction and (2) compare activity supporting safety prediction to activity supporting reward prediction.