Minimal circuit motifs for second-order conditioning in the insect mushroom body
In well-established first-order conditioning experiments, the concurrence of a sensory cue with reinforcement forms an association, allowing the cue to predict future reinforcement. In the insect mushroom body, a brain region central to learning and memory, such associations are encoded in the synap...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1326307/full |
| _version_ | 1797360005234556928 |
|---|---|
| author | Anna-Maria Jürgensen Felix Johannes Schmitt Martin Paul Nawrot |
| author_facet | Anna-Maria Jürgensen Felix Johannes Schmitt Martin Paul Nawrot |
| author_sort | Anna-Maria Jürgensen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In well-established first-order conditioning experiments, the concurrence of a sensory cue with reinforcement forms an association, allowing the cue to predict future reinforcement. In the insect mushroom body, a brain region central to learning and memory, such associations are encoded in the synapses between its intrinsic and output neurons. This process is mediated by the activity of dopaminergic neurons that encode reinforcement signals. In second-order conditioning, a new sensory cue is paired with an already established one that presumably activates dopaminergic neurons due to its predictive power of the reinforcement. We explored minimal circuit motifs in the mushroom body for their ability to support second-order conditioning using mechanistic models. We found that dopaminergic neurons can either be activated directly by the mushroom body’s intrinsic neurons or via feedback from the output neurons via several pathways. We demonstrated that the circuit motifs differ in their computational efficiency and robustness. Beyond previous research, we suggest an additional motif that relies on feedforward input of the mushroom body intrinsic neurons to dopaminergic neurons as a promising candidate for experimental evaluation. It differentiates well between trained and novel stimuli, demonstrating robust performance across a range of model parameters. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:33:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e74fb55701994ac99cd1fe88390441a2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:33:05Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-e74fb55701994ac99cd1fe88390441a22024-01-10T04:11:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2024-01-011410.3389/fphys.2023.13263071326307Minimal circuit motifs for second-order conditioning in the insect mushroom bodyAnna-Maria JürgensenFelix Johannes SchmittMartin Paul NawrotIn well-established first-order conditioning experiments, the concurrence of a sensory cue with reinforcement forms an association, allowing the cue to predict future reinforcement. In the insect mushroom body, a brain region central to learning and memory, such associations are encoded in the synapses between its intrinsic and output neurons. This process is mediated by the activity of dopaminergic neurons that encode reinforcement signals. In second-order conditioning, a new sensory cue is paired with an already established one that presumably activates dopaminergic neurons due to its predictive power of the reinforcement. We explored minimal circuit motifs in the mushroom body for their ability to support second-order conditioning using mechanistic models. We found that dopaminergic neurons can either be activated directly by the mushroom body’s intrinsic neurons or via feedback from the output neurons via several pathways. We demonstrated that the circuit motifs differ in their computational efficiency and robustness. Beyond previous research, we suggest an additional motif that relies on feedforward input of the mushroom body intrinsic neurons to dopaminergic neurons as a promising candidate for experimental evaluation. It differentiates well between trained and novel stimuli, demonstrating robust performance across a range of model parameters.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1326307/fullassociative leaningmushroom bodysecond-order conditioningclassical conditioningmechanistic modellearning and memory |
| spellingShingle | Anna-Maria Jürgensen Felix Johannes Schmitt Martin Paul Nawrot Minimal circuit motifs for second-order conditioning in the insect mushroom body Frontiers in Physiology associative leaning mushroom body second-order conditioning classical conditioning mechanistic model learning and memory |
| title | Minimal circuit motifs for second-order conditioning in the insect mushroom body |
| title_full | Minimal circuit motifs for second-order conditioning in the insect mushroom body |
| title_fullStr | Minimal circuit motifs for second-order conditioning in the insect mushroom body |
| title_full_unstemmed | Minimal circuit motifs for second-order conditioning in the insect mushroom body |
| title_short | Minimal circuit motifs for second-order conditioning in the insect mushroom body |
| title_sort | minimal circuit motifs for second order conditioning in the insect mushroom body |
| topic | associative leaning mushroom body second-order conditioning classical conditioning mechanistic model learning and memory |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1326307/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annamariajurgensen minimalcircuitmotifsforsecondorderconditioningintheinsectmushroombody AT felixjohannesschmitt minimalcircuitmotifsforsecondorderconditioningintheinsectmushroombody AT martinpaulnawrot minimalcircuitmotifsforsecondorderconditioningintheinsectmushroombody |