The subthalamic nucleus (STN), a key component of the basal ganglia circuitry, receives inputs from broad cerebral cortical areas and relays cortical activity to subcortical structures. Recent human and animal studies have suggested that executive function, which is assumed to consist of a set of different cognitive processes for controlling behavior, depends on precise information processing between the cerebral cortex and subcortical structures, leading to the idea that the STN contains neurons that transmit the information required for cognitive processing through their activity, and is involved in such cognitive control directly and dynamically. On the other hand, the STN activity also affects intracellular signal transduction and gene expression profiles influencing plasticity in other basal ganglia components. The STN may also indirectly contribute to information processing for cognitive control in other brain areas by regulating slower signaling mechanisms. However, the precise correspondence and causal relationship between the STN activity and cognitive processes are not fully understood. To address how the STN activity is involved in cognitive processes for controlling behavior, we applied Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD)-based chemogenetic manipulation of neural activity to behavioral analysis using a touchscreen operant platform. We subjected mice selectively expressing DREADD receptors in the STN neurons to a five-choice serial reaction time task, which has been developed to quantitatively measure executive function. Chemogenetic suppression of the STN activity reversibly impaired attention, especially required under highly demanding conditions, and increased impulsivity but not compulsivity. These findings, taken together with the results of previous lesion studies, suggest that the STN activity, directly and indirectly, participates in cognitive processing for controlling behavior, and dynamically regulates specific types of subprocesses in cognitive control probably through fast synaptic transmission.

中文翻译：

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丘脑底核的化学抑制在小鼠的五项选择系列反应时间任务中引起注意缺陷和冲动行为

丘脑底核 (STN) 是基底神经节回路的关键组成部分，它接收来自广泛的大脑皮层区域的输入，并将皮层活动传递到皮层下结构。最近的人类和动物研究表明，执行功能被假设由一组不同的控制行为的认知过程组成，取决于大脑皮层和皮层下结构之间的精确信息处理，导致 STN 包含神经元的想法通过他们的活动传递认知处理所需的信息，并直接和动态地参与这种认知控制。另一方面，STN 活性也影响细胞内信号转导和基因表达谱，影响其他基底神经节成分的可塑性。STN 还可能通过调节较慢的信号机制间接促进其他大脑区域认知控制的信息处理。然而，STN 活动与认知过程之间的精确对应关系和因果关系尚未完全了解。为了解决 STN 活动如何参与控制行为的认知过程，我们将基于设计药物 (DREADD) 的基于化学遗传学操作的神经活动化学遗传操作应用到使用触摸屏操作平台的行为分析中。我们对选择性表达 STN 神经元中的 DREADD 受体的小鼠进行了五项选择的连续反应时间任务，该任务已被开发用于定量测量执行功能。STN 活性的化学遗传学抑制可逆地损害注意力，在高要求的条件下尤其需要，并增加冲动但不强迫。这些发现与先前的病变研究结果相结合，表明 STN 活动直接或间接地参与控制行为的认知过程，并可能通过快速突触传递动态调节认知控制中特定类型的子过程。