The flexibility in adjusting the decision strategy from trial to trial is a prerequisite for learning in a probabilistic environment. Corresponding neural underpinnings remain largely unexplored. In the present study, 28 male humans were engaged in an associative learning task, in which they had to learn the changing probabilistic strengths of tactile sample stimuli. Combining functional magnetic resonance imaging with computational modeling, we show that an unchanged decision strategy over successively presented trials related to weakened functional connectivity between ventralmedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and left secondary somatosensory cortex. The weaker the connection strength, the faster participants indicated their choice. If the decision strategy remained unchanged, participant’s decision confidence (i.e., prior belief) was related to functional connectivity between vmPFC and right pulvinar. While adjusting the decision strategy, we instead found confidence-related connections between left orbitofrontal cortex and left thalamic mediodorsal nucleus. The stronger the participant’s prior belief, the weaker the connection strengths. Together, these findings suggest that distinct thalamo–prefrontal pathways encode the confidence in keeping or changing the decision strategy during probabilistic learning. Low confidence in the decision strategy demands more thalamo–prefrontal processing resources, which is in-line with the theoretical accounts of the free-energy principle.

中文翻译：

---

在与不同的丘脑-前额叶通路相关的概率触觉学习过程中对决策的信心。

在不同试验之间调整决策策略的灵活性是在概率环境中学习的先决条件。相应的神经基础在很大程度上仍未得到探索。在本研究中，28 名男性参与了一项联想学习任务，他们必须学习触觉样本刺激的不断变化的概率强度。将功能磁共振成像与计算模型相结合，我们表明，在连续提出的与腹内侧前额叶皮层 (vmPFC) 和左侧次级躯体感觉皮层之间功能连接减弱相关的试验中，决策策略不变。连接强度越弱，参与者越快表明他们的选择。如果决策策略保持不变，参与者的决策信心（即，先验信念）与 vmPFC 和右肺叶之间的功能连接有关。在调整决策策略的同时，我们反而发现了左侧眶额皮质和左侧丘脑内侧核之间与信心相关的联系。参与者的先验信念越强，连接强度就越弱。总之，这些发现表明，不同的丘脑-前额叶通路编码了在概率学习过程中保持或改变决策策略的信心。对决策策略的低信心需要更多的丘脑-前额叶处理资源，这与自由能原理的理论解释一致。相反，我们发现左侧眶额皮质和左侧丘脑内侧核之间存在与信心相关的联系。参与者的先验信念越强，连接强度就越弱。总之，这些发现表明，不同的丘脑-前额叶通路编码了在概率学习过程中保持或改变决策策略的信心。对决策策略的低信心需要更多的丘脑-前额叶处理资源，这与自由能原理的理论解释一致。相反，我们发现左侧眶额皮质和左侧丘脑内侧核之间存在与信心相关的联系。参与者的先验信念越强，连接强度就越弱。总之，这些发现表明，不同的丘脑-前额叶通路编码了在概率学习过程中保持或改变决策策略的信心。对决策策略的低信心需要更多的丘脑-前额叶处理资源，这与自由能原理的理论解释一致。