Lateral NAc Shell D1 and D2 Neuronal Ensembles Concurrently Predict Licking Behavior and Categorize Sucrose Concentrations in a Context-dependent Manner

Coss, Alam; Suaste, E.; Gutiérrez, Ranier

doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.04.022

Cited by 10 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…In addition to the operant conditioning experiments, our system can facilitate multi-solution briefaccess experiments for studying consummatory behavior. In our task, mice show consumption of a gradient of sucrose, quinine, and NaCl concentrations that closely matches behavior with the freely moving version of the task (Corbit and Luschei, 1969;Coss et al, 2022;Garcia et al, 2021;Glendinning et al, 2002;John et al, 1994;Loney and Meyer, 2018;Smith et al, 1992;Villavicencio et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

An Open-Source Platform for Head-Fixed Operant and Consummatory Behavior

Gordon-Fennell

Barbakh

Utley

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Head-fixed behavioral experiments in rodents permit unparalleled experimental control, precise measurement of behavior, and concurrent modulation and measurement of neural activity. Here we present OHRBETS (Open-Source Head-fixed Rodent Behavioral Experimental Training System; pronounced Orbitz), a low-cost, open-source ecosystem of hardware and software to flexibly pursue the neural basis of a variety of motivated behaviors. Head-fixed mice tested with OHRBETS displayed operant conditioning for caloric reward that replicates core behavioral phenotypes observed during freely moving conditions. OHRBETS also permits for optogenetic intracranial self-stimulation under positive or negative operant conditioning procedures and real-time place preference behavior, like that observed in freely moving assays. In a multi-spout brief-access consumption task, mice displayed licking as a function of concentration of sucrose, quinine, and sodium chloride, with licking modulated by homeostatic or circadian influences. Finally, to highlight the functionality of OHRBETS, we measured mesolimbic dopamine signals during the multi-spout brief-access task that display strong correlations with relative solution value and magnitude of consumption. All designs, programs, and instructions are provided freely online. This customizable ecosystem enables replicable operant and consummatory behaviors and can be incorporated with methods to perturb and record neural dynamics in vivo.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

An Open-Source Platform for Head-Fixed Operant and Consummatory Behavior

Gordon-Fennell

Barbakh

Utley

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…To test these possibilities, simultaneous recordings, unsupervised time-warping methods, and spike-time-based analysis are required. Alternatively, aIC and OFC activity perhaps prioritized categorization stimuli information over specific taste concentration because of the behavioral context (Coss et al, 2022). To solve our categorization task, rats only need to distinguish water from sucrose, regardless of the concentration, and thus, the intensity attribute is not entirely relevant to solving this task.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequential and dynamic coding of water-sucrose categorization in rat gustatory cortices

Mendoza,

Fonseca,

Merchant

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The gustatory system underlies our conscious perception of sweetness and allows us to distinguish a sweet solution from plain water. However, the neural mechanisms in gustatory cortices that enable rats to differentiate sweetness from water remain elusive. In this study, we designed a novel sucrose categorization task in which rats classified water from a gradient of sucrose solutions. We found that in the anterior Insular Cortex (aIC) and the Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC), neural activity prioritized encoding the categorization of water versus sucrose rather than the specific concentrations within the sucrose solutions. aIC neurons more rapidly encoded sucrose/water distinction, followed by the OFC. In contrast, the OFC encoded choice information slightly earlier than aIC, but both gustatory cortices maintained a comparable encoding of the rat's choices in parallel. The encoding of sensory and categorical decisions was dynamic and sequentially encoded, with neurons carrying significant information in moving bumps at different time bins across the trial. Our results demonstrate that sucrose categorization relies on dynamic encoding sequences in the neuronal activity of aIC and the OFC rather than static, long-lasting (sustained) neural representations. Single-cell, population decoding, and principal component analyses confirmed our results. This aligns with the concept of a dynamic code, where the brain updates its representation of sucrose categorization as new information becomes available. Additionally, aIC and the OFC rapidly encoded reward outcomes. Our data supports the view that gustatory cortices use sequential and dynamic coding to compute sensorimotor transformations from taste detection to encoding categorical taste decisions and reward outcomes.

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“…Our study employed a self-guided probabilistic choice task, known for its higher cognitive demands, as it requires rats to generate internal representations of their environment. 54 Compared to simpler tasks like freely licking 12 or brief-access taste tasks, 22 this paradigm revealed a striking expansion in the number of active NAcSh ensembles-up to 14 distinct modules. This suggests a direct link between task complexity and the number of ensembles recruited, implying that more information processing demands cause the activation of additional dedicated modules within the NAcSh.…”

Section: On the Complexity Of The Task And The Number Of Neuronal Ens...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The flow of reward information through neuronal ensembles in the accumbens

Arroyo,

Hernandez-Lemus,

Gutierrez

2024

Preprint

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The flow of reward information through neuronal ensembles in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) and its influence on decision-making remain poorly understood. We investigated these questions by training rats in a self-guided probabilistic choice task while recording single-unit activity in the NAcSh. We found that rats dynamically adapted their choices based on an internal representation of reward likelihood. NAcSh neurons encoded multiple task variables, including choices, outcomes (reward/no reward), and licking behavior. These neurons also exhibited sequential activity patterns resembling waves that peaked and dissipated with outcome delivery, potentially reflecting a global brain wave passing through the NAcSh. Further analysis revealed distinct neuronal ensembles processing distinct aspects of reward-guided behavior, further organized into four functionally specialized meta-ensembles. A Markov random fields graphical model revealed that NAcSh neurons form a small-world network with a heavy-tailed distribution, where most neurons have few functional connections and rare hubs are highly connected. This network architecture allows for efficient and robust information transmission. Neuronal ensembles exhibited dynamic interactions that reorganize depending on reward outcomes. Reinforcement learning within the session led to neuronal ensemble merging and increased network synchronization during reward delivery compared to omission. These findings offer a novel perspective of the flow of pleasure throughout neuronal ensembles in the NAcSh that dynamically changes its composition, with neurons dropping in and out, as the rat learns to obtain (energy) rewards in a changing environment and supports the idea that NAcSh ensembles encode the outcome of actions to guide decision making.

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Lateral NAc Shell D1 and D2 Neuronal Ensembles Concurrently Predict Licking Behavior and Categorize Sucrose Concentrations in a Context-dependent Manner

Cited by 10 publications

References 57 publications

An Open-Source Platform for Head-Fixed Operant and Consummatory Behavior

An Open-Source Platform for Head-Fixed Operant and Consummatory Behavior

Sequential and dynamic coding of water-sucrose categorization in rat gustatory cortices

The flow of reward information through neuronal ensembles in the accumbens

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