Choice-predicting neurons in the prelimbic cortex during a modified Iowa-gambling-task for rats

成功往往取决于鼓舞人心的选择，是为了取得令人兴奋的成就而冒险，还是为了安全、渐进的进步而坚持不懈。在这个项目中，我们的目标是基于概率证据的内部评估，发现触发这种灵感决定的神经元放电模式。我们将训练大鼠执行一项修改后的爱荷华州赌博任务，成功地在改变长期优势的情况下，在确定的-小的，或可能的-大的回报之间做出选择。最近(Passecker等人，2019年)，我们在内侧PFC的预细分(PL)中发现了一个特殊神经元的子集，它们的放电预测动物随后的决定，即使是不太可能的选择。在这个项目中，我们将对这些神经元进行细胞旁记录和标记，以确定它们的细胞身份和轴突投射，我们将操纵赌博任务中的神经元活动，我们将开发计算模型来解释赌博过程中潜在的选择和基于内部估值动态调整决策的网络动力学。

Success often depends on inspired choices between risk-taking for exciting achievements or perseverance with safe, incremental advancements. In this project we aim to discover neuronal firing patterns triggering such inspired decisions based on internal valuations of probabilistic evidence. We will train rats to perform a modified-Iowa-gambling-task, successfully adjusting choices between certain-small, or possible-big rewards with changing long-term advantages. Recently (Passecker et al., 2019), we have discovered a subset of specialized neurons in the prelimbic subdivision (PL) of medial PFC, whose firing predict the subsequent decision of the animal, even for unlikely choices. During this project, we will perform juxtacellular recording and labelling of these neurons to determine their cellular identity and axonal projections, we will manipulate neuronal activity during the gambling task and we will develop computational models to explain the network dynamics underlying choices during gambling and dynamically adjusting decisions based on internal valuations.