How to select and shape neural activity When we learn a new skill or task, our movements are reinforced and shaped. Learning occurs because the neural activity patterns in the movement control–related brain regions that are rewarded are repeated. But how does this reinforcement work? Athalye et al. developed a closed-loop self-stimulation paradigm in which a target motor cortical activity pattern resulted in the optogenetic stimulation of dopaminergic neurons. With training, mice learned to reenter specific neuronal activity patterns, which triggered self-stimulation and shaped their neural activity to be closer to the target pattern. Science, this issue p. 1024 During motor reinforcement, specific motor cortex activity patterns are selected more often and iteratively optimized. Thorndike’s law of effect states that actions that lead to reinforcements tend to be repeated more often. Accordingly, neural activity patterns leading to reinforcement are also reentered more frequently. Reinforcement relies on dopaminergic activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and animals shape their behavior to receive dopaminergic stimulation. Seeking evidence for a neural law of effect, we found that mice learn to reenter more frequently motor cortical activity patterns that trigger optogenetic VTA self-stimulation. Learning was accompanied by gradual shaping of these patterns, with participating neurons progressively increasing and aligning their covariance to that of the target pattern. Motor cortex patterns that lead to phasic dopaminergic VTA activity are progressively reinforced and shaped, suggesting a mechanism by which animals select and shape actions to reliably achieve reinforcement.

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神经效应定律的证据

如何选择和塑造神经活动 当我们学习一项新技能或任务时，我们的动作会得到加强和塑造。学习的发生是因为与运动控制相关的大脑区域中的神经活动模式被重复了。但是这种强化是如何工作的呢？阿塔利等人。开发了一种闭环自刺激范式，其中目标运动皮层活动模式导致多巴胺能神经元的光遗传学刺激。通过训练，老鼠学会重新进入特定的神经元活动模式，这会触发自我刺激并使它们的神经活动更接近目标模式。科学，这个问题 p。1024 在运动强化过程中​​，会更频繁地选择特定的运动皮层活动模式并进行迭代优化。桑代克效应定律指出，导致增援的行动往往会更频繁地重复。因此，导致强化的神经活动模式也更频繁地重新进入。强化依赖于腹侧被盖区 (VTA) 的多巴胺能活动，动物会塑造它们的行为以接受多巴胺能刺激。为了寻找神经效应定律的证据，我们发现小鼠学会更频繁地重新进入触发光遗传学 VTA 自我刺激的运动皮层活动模式。学习伴随着这些模式的逐渐形成，参与的神经元逐渐增加并将它们的协方差与目标模式的协方差对齐。导致阶段性多巴胺能 VTA 活动的运动皮层模式逐渐增强和成形，