title: Similarity effect and optimal control of multiple-choice decision making.
abstract: Decision making with several choice options is central to cognition. To elucidate the neural mechanisms of such decisions, we investigated a recurrent cortical circuit model in which fluctuating spiking neural dynamics underlie trial-by-trial stochastic decisions. The model encodes a continuous analog stimulus feature and is thus applicable to multiple-choice decisions. Importantly, the continuous network captures similarity between alternatives and possible overlaps in their neural representation. Model simulations accounted for behavioral as well as single-unit neurophysiological data from a recent monkey experiment and revealed testable predictions about the patterns of error rate as a function of the similarity between the correct and actual choices. We also found that the similarity and number of options affect speed and accuracy of responses. A mechanism is proposed for flexible control of speed-accuracy tradeoff, based on a simple top-down signal to the decision circuit that may vary nonmonotonically with the number of choice alternatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
authors.forename: Moran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furman
authors.forename: Xiao-Jing
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009474:Neurons / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D018350:alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018350:alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid