Excitation and inhibition in anterior cingulate predict use of past experiences

Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) mediates updating and maintenance of cognitive models of the world used to drive adaptive reward-guided behavior. We investigated the neurochemical underpinnings of this process. We used magnetic resonance spectroscopy in humans, to measure levels of glutamate...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Scholl, J, Kolling, N, Nelissen, N, Stagg, C, Harmer, C, Rushworth, M
Format: Journal article
Published: eLife Sciences Publications 2017
_version_ 1797061438118821888
author Scholl, J
Kolling, N
Nelissen, N
Stagg, C
Harmer, C
Rushworth, M
author_facet Scholl, J
Kolling, N
Nelissen, N
Stagg, C
Harmer, C
Rushworth, M
author_sort Scholl, J
collection OXFORD
description Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) mediates updating and maintenance of cognitive models of the world used to drive adaptive reward-guided behavior. We investigated the neurochemical underpinnings of this process. We used magnetic resonance spectroscopy in humans, to measure levels of glutamate and GABA in dACC. We examined their relationship to neural signals in dACC, measured with fMRI, and cognitive task performance. Both inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in dACC were predictive of the strength of neural signals in dACC and behavioral adaptation. Glutamate levels were correlated, first, with stronger neural activity representing information to be learnt about the tasks’ costs and benefits and, second, greater use of this information in the guidance of behavior. GABA levels were negatively correlated with the same neural signals and the same indices of behavioral influence. Our results suggest that glutamate and GABA in dACC affect the encoding and use of past experiences to guide behavior.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T20:31:09Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:3114a25a-3531-409c-a3a3-a10bc504f36f
institution University of Oxford
last_indexed 2024-03-06T20:31:09Z
publishDate 2017
publisher eLife Sciences Publications
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:3114a25a-3531-409c-a3a3-a10bc504f36f2022-03-26T13:05:39ZExcitation and inhibition in anterior cingulate predict use of past experiencesJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:3114a25a-3531-409c-a3a3-a10bc504f36fSymplectic Elements at OxfordeLife Sciences Publications2017Scholl, JKolling, NNelissen, NStagg, CHarmer, CRushworth, MDorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) mediates updating and maintenance of cognitive models of the world used to drive adaptive reward-guided behavior. We investigated the neurochemical underpinnings of this process. We used magnetic resonance spectroscopy in humans, to measure levels of glutamate and GABA in dACC. We examined their relationship to neural signals in dACC, measured with fMRI, and cognitive task performance. Both inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in dACC were predictive of the strength of neural signals in dACC and behavioral adaptation. Glutamate levels were correlated, first, with stronger neural activity representing information to be learnt about the tasks’ costs and benefits and, second, greater use of this information in the guidance of behavior. GABA levels were negatively correlated with the same neural signals and the same indices of behavioral influence. Our results suggest that glutamate and GABA in dACC affect the encoding and use of past experiences to guide behavior.
spellingShingle Scholl, J
Kolling, N
Nelissen, N
Stagg, C
Harmer, C
Rushworth, M
Excitation and inhibition in anterior cingulate predict use of past experiences
title Excitation and inhibition in anterior cingulate predict use of past experiences
title_full Excitation and inhibition in anterior cingulate predict use of past experiences
title_fullStr Excitation and inhibition in anterior cingulate predict use of past experiences
title_full_unstemmed Excitation and inhibition in anterior cingulate predict use of past experiences
title_short Excitation and inhibition in anterior cingulate predict use of past experiences
title_sort excitation and inhibition in anterior cingulate predict use of past experiences
work_keys_str_mv AT schollj excitationandinhibitioninanteriorcingulatepredictuseofpastexperiences
AT kollingn excitationandinhibitioninanteriorcingulatepredictuseofpastexperiences
AT nelissenn excitationandinhibitioninanteriorcingulatepredictuseofpastexperiences
AT staggc excitationandinhibitioninanteriorcingulatepredictuseofpastexperiences
AT harmerc excitationandinhibitioninanteriorcingulatepredictuseofpastexperiences
AT rushworthm excitationandinhibitioninanteriorcingulatepredictuseofpastexperiences