Mediodorsal but not anterior thalamic nuclei lesions impair acquisition of a conditional discrimination task

Wolff, Mathieu; Faugère, Angélique; Desfosses, Émilie; Coutureau, Étienne; Marchand, Alain R.

doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.018

Cited by 16 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…In the first set of experiments assessing learning and decision-making on the varying reward schedules, we found that the integrity of the MDmc is critical to allow monkeys to update their behavior efficiently following a reversal in the identity of the highest value stimulus. Similar deficits have been previously reported in studies using rats with complete MD lesions ( Block et al, 2007 ; Chudasama et al, 2001 ; Parnaudeau et al, 2013 ), an impairment often attributed to failure to prevent perseveration to a previously rewarded option or strategy, though see ( Wolff et al, 2015 ). However, such an explanation cannot account for the patterns of choices observed in the current study, as the monkeys with MDmc lesions were no more likely to persevere with the previously highest rewarded option post reversal than controls.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“…The MD is heavily interconnected with the prefrontal cortex, and also receives inputs from the amygdala and ventral striatum ( Aggleton and Mishkin, 1984 ; Goldman-Rakic and Porrino, 1985 ; McFarland and Haber, 2002 ; Ray and Price, 1993 ; Russchen et al, 1987 ; Timbie and Barbas, 2015 ; Xiao et al, 2009 ). Causal evidence from animal models indicates that MD provides a critical contribution in many reward-guided learning and decision-making tasks, particularly those requiring rapid adaptive updating of stimulus values ( Chudasama et al, 2001 ; Corbit et al, 2003 ; Mitchell and Dalrymple-Alford, 2005 ; Mitchell et al, 2007b ; Mitchell and Gaffan, 2008 ; Ostlund and Balleine, 2008 ; Parnaudeau et al, 2013 ; Wolff et al, 2015 ). By contrast, implementation of pre-learned strategies and memory retention remains intact after selective damage to the magnocellular subdivision of MD (MDmc) ( Mitchell et al, 2007a ; Mitchell and Gaffan, 2008 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Critical role for the mediodorsal thalamus in permitting rapid reward-guided updating in stochastic reward environments

Chakraborty

Kolling

Walton

et al. 2016

eLife

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Adaptive decision-making uses information gained when exploring alternative options to decide whether to update the current choice strategy. Magnocellular mediodorsal thalamus (MDmc) supports adaptive decision-making, but its causal contribution is not well understood. Monkeys with excitotoxic MDmc damage were tested on probabilistic three-choice decision-making tasks. They could learn and track the changing values in object-reward associations, but they were severely impaired at updating choices after reversals in reward contingencies or when there were multiple options associated with reward. These deficits were not caused by perseveration or insensitivity to negative feedback though. Instead, monkeys with MDmc lesions exhibited an inability to use reward to promote choice repetition after switching to an alternative option due to a diminished influence of recent past choices and the last outcome to guide future behavior. Together, these data suggest MDmc allows for the rapid discovery and persistence with rewarding options, particularly in uncertain or changing environments.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13588.001

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical role for the mediodorsal thalamus in permitting rapid reward-guided updating in stochastic reward environments

Chakraborty

Kolling

Walton

et al. 2016

eLife

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“…Understanding the functional relevance of these corticothalamic pathways is an important issue as conceptual views posit that they may contribute to cortical functioning by enabling transthalamic communication between cortical areas, thus offering supplemental integrative opportunities ( Sherman and Guillery, 2011 ; Sherman, 2016 ). The functional contribution of thalamocortical pathways appears to be consistent with that of a general role of the thalamus to direct attention toward task’s elements relevant for successful performance ( Wolff et al, 2015a ; Wolff et al, 2015b ), not only in the presence of cues, but also when using the current content of mental representation is required for successful performance.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

Thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways differentially contribute to goal-directed behaviors in the rat

Alcaraz

Fresno

Marchand

et al. 2018

eLife

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Highly distributed neural circuits are thought to support adaptive decision-making in volatile and complex environments. Notably, the functional interactions between prefrontal and reciprocally connected thalamic nuclei areas may be important when choices are guided by current goal value or action-outcome contingency. We examined the functional involvement of selected thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways connecting the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) in the behaving rat. Using a chemogenetic approach to inhibit projection-defined dmPFC and MD neurons during an instrumental learning task, we show that thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways differentially support goal attributes. Both pathways participate in adaptation to the current goal value, but only thalamocortical neurons are required to integrate current causal relationships. These data indicate that antiparallel flow of information within thalamocortical circuits may convey qualitatively distinct aspects of adaptive decision-making and highlight the importance of the direction of information flow within neural circuits.

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“…Lesions to the MD produce impairments in many of the tasks supposed to tax these processes in instrumental Mitchell et al, 2007;Ostlund & Balleine, 2008;Parnaudeau et al, 2014) and Pavlovian tasks (Ostlund & Balleine, 2008;Pickens, 2008) or even tasks taxing both types of contingencies (Wolff et al, 2015b;Alcaraz et al, 2016). Thus, the impairments resulting from MD lesions often mirror those observed following damage to the corresponding prefrontal area, even though some discrepancies can also be found in the literature.…”

Section: Functional Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Parallel inputs from the mediodorsal thalamus to the prefrontal cortex in the rat

Alcaraz

Marchand

Courtand

et al. 2016

Eur J of Neuroscience

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There is a growing interest in determining the functional contribution of thalamic inputs to cortical functions. In the context of adaptive behaviours, identifying the precise role of the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) in particular remains difficult despite the large amount of experimental data available. A better understanding of the thalamocortical connectivity of this region may help to capture its functional role. To address this issue, this study focused exclusively on the specific connections from the MD to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) by means of direct comparisons of labelling produced by single and dual injections of retrograde tracers in the different subdivisions of the PFC in the rat. We show that at least three parallel and essentially separate thalamocortical pathways originate from the MD, as follows: projections to the dorsal (1) and the ventral (2) subdivisions of the mPFC follow a mediolateral topography at the thalamic level (i.e. medial thalamic neurons target the mPFC ventrally whereas lateral thalamic neurons project dorsally), whereas a considerable innervation to the OFC (3) includes thalamic cells projecting to both the lateral and the ventral OFC subdivisions. These observations provide new insight on the functions of the MD and suggest a specific focus on each of these pathways for future functional studies.

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Mediodorsal but not anterior thalamic nuclei lesions impair acquisition of a conditional discrimination task

Cited by 16 publications

References 33 publications

Critical role for the mediodorsal thalamus in permitting rapid reward-guided updating in stochastic reward environments

Critical role for the mediodorsal thalamus in permitting rapid reward-guided updating in stochastic reward environments

Thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways differentially contribute to goal-directed behaviors in the rat

Parallel inputs from the mediodorsal thalamus to the prefrontal cortex in the rat

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