”10 This mixed selectivity does not fit into the traditional view of brain function in which individual neurons have been thought to be specialized for single functions. Instead, in the PFC, neural specialization waters down in a mix of disparate information; there is no obvious function that unites the variety of information signaled by the individual neurons. Why this mixed selectivity, and why so many neurons? The answer is

that large proportions of mixed selectivity neurons expand the brain’s computational power, increasing the complexity and number of task rules that can be learned, and speeding up their acquisition.16,17 The high dimensionality of the representational space they support allows learning algorithms to converge Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical more

quickly and reduces the plasticity mechanisms needed. Because mixed selectivity neurons already have a mixture of task-relevant information, only the readout neurons have to be modified during learning. In short, mixed selectivity amplifies our ability to quickly learn (and flexibly implement) complex rules.16,18 Thus, the PFC seems to be Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical a neural substrate ideal for absorbing the constellation of disparate information that forms rules. But how exactly does rule information exert control? Miller and Cohen8 suggested a possibility. Their central idea is that PFC rule representations are not esoteric descriptions Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of the logic of a task. Rather, the rules are represented in a particular format: as a map of the cortical pathways needed to perform the task (“rulemaps”—Figure 2). In other words, a task’s rules in the PFC are also maps of the neural pathways

within and between other cortical regions that need to be engaged to solve the current task. In a given situation, cues about Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the current situation (context) and other external and internal cues activate and complete the PFC rulemap that includes that information as well as the course of action that has proven successful in the past. Rulemap activation (which can be sustained, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical if needed) sets up bias signals that feed back to other brain areas, affecting sensory systems as well as the systems responsible for response execution, memory retrieval, and emotional evaluation. The cumulative effect is the selection of the pattern of neural circuits that guide the flow of neural activity along the proper mappings between inputs, internal states, and outputs to reach the goal. It is as if the PFC is a conductor in old a railroad yard and learns a map that it uses to guide trains (neural activity) along the right PF-02341066 clinical trial tracks (neural pathways). Next, we consider how these rulemaps are acquired. Figure 2. Miller and Cohen model of executive control. Shown are processing units representing cues such as sensory inputs, current motivational state, memories, etc(C1, C2, and C3), and those representing two voluntary actions (eg, “responses”, … Teaching by dopamine You can not learn rules unless you have some idea about the consequences of your actions.