Neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex code both visual shapes and reward types.
It has been reported that neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex respond to visual cues that predict reward; however, few studies have focused on the neuronal correlates with the predicted reward type and the cue stimulus. In this study, we used a paired association task and introduced a reversal condition, in which cue stimuli that usually predict water were switched to predict juice, and vice versa. Of 111 cue-responsive neurons, 60 neurons (54.1%) depended on both the cue stimulus and the predicted reward type. The results suggest that neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex can code both visual and reward information, and contribute to the association between these two pieces of information according to the current combination of a cue stimulus and a reward type.
Hosokawa
Takayuki
T
Department of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.
Kato
Keichiro
K
Inoue
Masato
M
Mikami
Akichika
A
D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D012201:Reward