9/26/2024 Thilo Womelsdorf: Cell-Circuit-Network Level Mechanisms supporting Efficient Attentional Control in Primate Fronto-Striatal Circuits
CCN Brown Bag
Thilo Womelsdorf, PhD
Professor of Psychology
Date: Thursday, September 26, 2024
Time: 12:10PM-1:00PM
Location: 316 Wilson Hall
Cell-Circuit-Network Level Mechanisms supporting Efficient Attentional Control in Primate Fronto-Striatal Circuits
How do brain circuits control attention? This talk surveys three possible mechanisms inferred from electrophysiological studies in nonhuman primates and proposes a multi-task paradigm to advance our understanding of attention control.
First – at the circuit level – we illustrate how circuits represent and learn behavioral (attentional) goals. Neurons distributed in prefrontal cortex and the striatum rapidly learn to represent goal-relevant information and begin to predict which visual features in our environments are more rewarding than expected and thus should guide attention in the future. Using (ultrasound and electrical) stimulation experiments we show that these neurons causally support guiding attention.
Second – at the network level – neuronal activity encoding attention-relevant signals across prefrontal cortex and the striatum dynamically synchronize when attention and gaze is directed to reward-relevant stimuli. Synchronized activity of attention signals allows inferring which neuronal groups act as leaders versus laggards within the larger fronto-striatal attention system. Leading roles of neurons are prevalent in the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex and dynamically switch during periods of oscillatory bursting activity.
Third – at the level of cell-types – we unexpectedly found that one subtype of fast spiking interneurons strongly activates when attention-relevant information is learned. These findings suggest that interneuron subtypes play a crucial role in training the network of neurons to more strongly represent goal-relevant information during learning and suppress irrelevant information. We support this suggestion with modeling work.
Finally, to truly infer mechanisms supporting domain-general attentional control processes we introduce a multi-task paradigm that aims to assess multiple control subfunctions in monkeys and humans – aiming for a cross-species understanding of attentional control.
Questions? Contact Isabel Gauthier