How do we learn about what to learn about? Specifically, how do the neural elements in our brain generalize what has been learned in one situation to recognize the common structure of-and speed learning in-other, similar situations? We know this happens because we become better at solving new problems-learning and deploying schemas1-5-through experience. However, we have little insight into this process. Here we show that using prior knowledge to facilitate learning is accompanied by the evolution of a neural schema in the orbitofrontal cortex. Single units were recorded from rats deploying a schema to learn a succession of odour-sequence problems. With learning, orbitofrontal cortex ensembles converged onto a low-dimensional neural code across both problems and subjects; this neural code represented the common structure of the problems and its evolution accelerated across their learning. These results demonstrate the formation and use of a schema in a prefrontal brain region to support a complex cognitive operation. Our results not only reveal a role for the orbitofrontal cortex in learning but also have implications for using ensemble analyses to tap into complex cognitive functions.

中文翻译：

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学习过程中眶额整体中不断变化的图式表示

我们如何学习要学习的内容？具体来说，我们大脑中的神经元件如何概括在一种情况下学到的知识，以识别其他类似情况下的共同结构并加快学习速度？我们知道这种情况会发生，因为我们通过经验变得更擅长解决新问题（学习和部署模式1-5）。然而，我们对这个过程知之甚少。在这里，我们表明，使用先验知识来促进学习伴随着眶额皮层神经模式的进化。记录了老鼠部署一个模式来学习一系列气味序列问题的单个单元。通过学习，眶额皮层集合会汇聚成跨问题和主题的低维神经代码；这种神经代码代表了问题的共同结构，并且在他们的学习过程中加速了它的演变。这些结果证明了前额叶大脑区域图式的形成和使用来支持复杂的认知操作。我们的结果不仅揭示了眶额皮层在学习中的作用，而且对使用集成分析来挖掘复杂的认知功能也有影响。