前额叶皮层和纹状体的局域场电位的功率编码奖励信息

前额叶皮层和纹状体是大脑内两个重要的区域,研究表明它们都参与了许多高级认知过程,如学习记忆、奖励信息处理、行为决策等。单细胞电生理记录实验已显示前额叶皮层和纹状体的神经元能够编码奖励信息,但不清楚这两个区域的局域场电位(local field potential,LFP)是否也能编码奖励信息。为研究这个问题,当猴子在进行一个奖励预测实验时,用多通道电极同时记录了前额叶皮层和纹状体的LFP。采用短时傅里叶变换,将记录的LFP转换为时、频域上的信号,比较不同奖励条件(大容量水奖励和小容量水奖励)下功率值的分布。结果显示前额叶皮层和纹状体的LFP的功率能够区分不同的奖励条件,并且小容量水奖励条件下的功率值大于大容量水奖励条件下的功率值;进一步研究显示LFP在β频段(14~30 Hz)能更好地编码奖励信息。以上结果表明前额叶皮层和纹状体的LFP能够有效地编码奖励信息,有助于进一步理解LFP在处理奖励信息过程中的作用。

Contributions of distinct prefrontal neuron classes in reward processing

The prefrontal cortex(PFC)is thought to be involved in higher order cognitive functions,such as in working memory,abstract categorization,and reward processing.It has been reported that two distinct neuron classes(putative pyramidal cells and interneurons)in the PFC played different functional roles in neural circuits involved in forming working memory and abstract categories.However,it remains elusive how the two types of neurons process reward information in the PFC.To investigate this issue,the activity of single neurons was extracellularly recorded in the PFC of the monkey performing a reward predicting task.PFC neurons were classified into putative pyramidal cells and interneurons,respectively,based on the waveforms of action potentials.Both the two types of neurons encoded reward information and discriminated two reward conditions(the preferred reward condition vs.the nonpreferred reward condition).However,the putative pyramidal neurons had better and more reliable discriminability than the putative interneurons.Also,the pyramidal cells represented reward information in the preferred reward condition,but not in the nonpreferred reward condition by raising their firing rates relative to the baseline rates.In contrast,the interneurons encoded reward information in the nonpreferred reward condition,but not in the preferred reward condition by inhibiting their discharge rates relative to the baseline rates.These results suggested that the putative pyramidal cells and interneurons had complementary functions in reward processing.These findings may help to clarify individual functions of each type of neurons in PFC neuronal circuits involved in reward processing.