A Novel Neural Prediction Error Found in Anterior Cingulate Cortex Ensembles

Abstract

The function of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) remains controversial, yet many theories suggest a role in behavioral adaptation, partly because a robust event-related potential, the feedback-related negativity (FN), is evoked over the ACC whenever expectations are violated. We recorded from the ACC as rats performed a task identical to one that reliably evokes an FN in humans. A subset of neurons was found that encoded expected outcomes as abstract outcome representations. The degree to which a reward/non-reward outcome representation emerged during a trial depended on the history of outcomes that preceded it. A prediction error was generated on incongruent trials as the ensembles shifted from representing the expected to the actual outcome, at the same time point we have previously reported an FN in the local field potential. The results describe a novel mode of prediction error signaling by ACC neurons that is associated with the generation of an FN.

Dynamic changes in Anterior Cingulate Cortex ensembles mark the transition from exploration to exploitation

“…The ACC may also encode the value of search which in can turn impact decisions about whether to stick with one option or continue to explore . A similar picture has emerged from electrophysiology studies in animals as single ACC neurons can represent the relative value of an action or outcome (Pratt & Mizumori 2001;Hayden & Platt 2010;Hillman & Bilkey 2010;Kennerley et al 2009;Wallis & Kennerley 2011;Cai & Padoa-Schioppa 2012;Cowen et al 2012;Narayanan et al 2013;Azab & Hayden 2017;Hyman et al 2017;Monosov 2017) as well as the relative value of leaving a depleting patch for a new one (Hayden et al, 2011;Blanchard & Hayden 2014).…”

Dissociable roles for Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Basolateral Amygdala in Decision Confidence and Learning under Uncertainty

“…Our post-decision wagering paradigm mimics many features of foraging tasks that involve patch-leaving decisions. In rats, the ACC represents expected outcomes and signals errors in reward prediction, and is engaged when a change in the course of action is required and encodes information about rewards in remote locations (Bryden et al, 2011;Hyman, Holroyd, & Seamans, 2017;Mashhoori, Hashemnia, McNaughton, Euston, & Gruber, 2018). Similarly, in primates, the dorsal ACC participates in foraging decisions, signaling the value of leaving a patch in pursuit of other opportunities in the environment (Hayden et al, 2011).…”

Neurometaplasticity: Glucoallostasis control of plasticity of the neural networks of error commission, detection, and correction modulates neuroplasticity to influence task precision

“…FN is mostly associated correct outcomes and is generated by the brain regions earlier mentioned in this section [50,51]. For example, neurons of the anterior cingulate cortex can avoid errors by decoding in a timely manner to predict, at least in part, through the generation of the FN signal [50]. Thus, plasticity of the error circuitry (which is continuously and primarily modulated by glucoallostasis) influences subsequent neuroplastic events.…”

“…error detection), and resultant error correction, which are the functions of the interactions among the brain regions involved in error processing and monitoring. FN is mostly associated correct outcomes and is generated by the brain regions earlier mentioned in this section [50,51]. For example, neurons of the anterior cingulate cortex can avoid errors by decoding in a timely manner to predict, at least in part, through the generation of the FN signal [50].…”

“…This regulatory impact of glucoallostasis on this neural circuitry also modulates neuroplasticity of brain regions involved in error commission, detection and correction such as the left posterior parietal cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and mesolimbic dopaminergic system [3,4,[47][48][49]. Error commission, error detection and error correction functions of these brain regions are measured physiologically by feedback-related negativity (FN) and error-related negativity (ERN) [48,50,51]. Both FN and ERN are associated with error.…”