Neural activity of the prefrontal cortex in decision-making during virtual reality-based goal-directed behavior

초록

Motivation, the driving force behind our actions, behaviors, and goals, influences adaptive behavior and decision-making across diverse environments. Neural activity involved in goal-directed behavior engages various regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), nucleus accumbens (NAc), hippocampus (Hip), and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Using a virtual reality (VR) system, we simulated multiple artificial environments to provide sensory stimulation, allowing head-restricted experiments with two-photon calcium imaging to monitor neural activity. We conducted a virtual T-maze task to observe neural activity during decision-making behaviors, distinguishing two groups based on trial numbers: highly motivated and low motivated. The highly motivated group exhibited elevated neural activity during correct trials and decreased activity during incorrect trials, while no discernible difference was observed in the low motivated group. Following the behavior task, c-Fos staining confirmed neural activity in multiple brain regions associated with goal-directed behavior. The ACC and VTA exhibited high levels of c-Fos expression, whereas the Hip showed low levels. Further investigation into the direct projections from the VTA to the ACC, which play a critical role in motivating behavior, is necessary to explore how modifications in neural activity can modulate motivated behavior.