Monoaminergic neuromodulation of cortical circuits underlying economic investment decisions

We attempt to make decisions that best serve our goals. Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) contributes to these economic investment decisions by computing the value of uncertain outcomes. However, the mechanisms by which OFC dynamically computes value remain largely unknown. Neurons releasing monoaminergic neuromodulators such as dopamine and serotonin broadcast value signals to many brain regions including OFC and could therefore enable economic investment decisions. However, it remains elusive (i) how dopamine and serotonin control OFC neurons and networks thereby adjusting economic investment decisions and (ii) if and how OFC circuits, in turn, inform neuromodulatory centers about the value of uncertain outcomes.
The goal of my proposal is to determine the mechanisms by which monoaminergic neuromodulators interact with cortical networks to enable economic investment decisions. I will address these questions by combining a model-based behavioral approach in rats with state-of-the-art optogenetic, electrophysiological and computational tools.