title: Primate amygdala neurons evaluate the progress of self-defined economic choice sequences.
abstract: The amygdala is a prime valuation structure yet its functions in advanced behaviors are poorly understood. We tested whether individual amygdala neurons encode a critical requirement for goal-directed behavior: the evaluation of progress during sequential choices. As monkeys progressed through choice sequences toward rewards, amygdala neurons showed phasic, gradually increasing responses over successive choice steps. These responses occurred in the absence of external progress cues or motor preplanning. They were often specific to self-defined sequences, typically disappearing during instructed control sequences with similar reward expectation. Their build-up rate reflected prospectively the forthcoming choice sequence, suggesting adaptation to an internal plan. Population decoding demonstrated a high-accuracy progress code. These findings indicate that amygdala neurons evaluate the progress of planned, self-defined behavioral sequences. Such progress signals seem essential for aligning stepwise choices with internal plans. Their presence in amygdala neurons may inform understanding of human conditions with amygdala dysfunction and deregulated reward pursuit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6455-0648
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grabenhorst
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.|Grastyan Translational Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Istvan
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7882-4817
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hernadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8530-4518
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002755:Choice Behavior; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: amygdala; decision-making; emotion; neuroscience; planning; reward; rhesus macaque