RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Ventral motor thalamic input to prelimbic cortex, but not to striatum, mediates cost-benefit decision-making in rats
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2022.02.11.480170
DO 10.1101/2022.02.11.480170
A1 Bianca Sieveritz
A1 Shannon Hayashi Duke
A1 Jeffery R. Wickens
A1 Gordon W. Arbuthnott
YR 2022
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/02/14/2022.02.11.480170.abstract
AB Both prelimbic corticostriatal neurons and striatal fast-spiking interneurons contribute to decisions that require a trade-off between cost and benefit. We investigated whether ventral motor thalamic input to prelimbic cortex or striatum contributes to cost-benefit decision-making. Optogenetic inhibition of ventral motor thalamic axon terminals in prelimbic cortex biased rats towards a high cost-high benefit option and, in anesthetized rats, decreased neuronal activity in deep layers of prelimbic cortex. Stimulation of ventral motor thalamic nuclei induced a neuronal response in deep layers of prelimbic cortex and simultaneous optogenetic inhibition of layer 1 inhibitory interneurons similarly decreased neuronal activity. Chemogenetic inhibition of striatal-projecting ventral motor thalamic neurons did not affect cost-benefit decision-making. Our results indicate that ventral motor thalamic input to prelimbic cortex, but not striatum, mediates cost-benefit decision-making, probably by regulating prelimbic corticostriatal neuron activity directly as well as indirectly through a network of cortical inhibitory interneurons.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.