Neural dynamics and circuit mechanisms of decision-making

• Published in: Current opinion in neurobiology Vol. 22; no. 6; pp. 1039 - 1046
• Main Author: Wang, Xiao-Jing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2012
• Subjects: Animals; Brain - physiology; Choice Behavior - physiology; Circuits; Computational neuroscience; Decision making; Decision Making - physiology; Humans; Jumping; Models, Neurological; Nerve Net - physiology; Nervous system; Neurology; Primates; Psychiatry; Reviews
• ISSN: 0959-4388; 1873-6882; 1873-6882
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2012.08.006

► We review recent work on neural circuit mechanism of decision-making. ► Temporal dynamics and population activity in the state space represent a duality of perspectives. ► A decision circuit can display the ramping mode and the jumping mode with distinct properties. ► Deviations from rational models of choice behavior can be explained by known neural mechanisms. In this review, I briefly summarize current neurobiological studies of decision-making that bear on two general themes. The first focuses on the nature of neural representation and dynamics in a decision circuit. Experimental and computational results suggest that ramping-to-threshold in the temporal domain and trajectory of population activity in the state space represent a duality of perspectives on a decision process. Moreover, a decision circuit can display several different dynamical regimes, such as the ramping mode and the jumping mode with distinct defining properties. The second is concerned with the relationship between biologically-based mechanistic models and normative-type models. A fruitful interplay between experiments and these models at different levels of abstraction have enabled investigators to pose increasingly refined questions and gain new insights into the neural basis of decision-making. In particular, recent work on multi-alternative decisions suggests that deviations from rational models of choice behavior can be explained by established neural mechanisms.