神经元&及行为 z-bo 2020-08-17 573

　　Recently, in a research paper published in the international journal Learning & Memory, researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Technology have identified neurons responsible for behavioral decision-making in rats through research, and used a special control of nerve cell activity With the optical technology, researchers have revealed that it can promote the behavior of rats to become more complicated by inactivating parts of the rat brain.

　　This special technology is called Optogenetics, which allows researchers to reveal the activation and inhibition of specific neurons; Optogenetics can work by causing specific neurons in the brain to express specific light-sensitive proteins. Researchers can use a kind of "optical cable" to illuminate the brain with light to control the activity of neurons that express light-sensitive proteins.

　　In this study, the researchers revealed how they used this technique to inhibit a series of neuronal "activation" (inhibiting the activity of neurons). In the article, the researchers described the effects on the nucleus accumbens area of the brain. As well as its role in controlling the complexity of behavior, the researcher asked the rat to push one of the two levers. When it pushes a lever, it will receive a reward. If it can continue to push the lever 20 times, it can continue to receive a reward. , And when the lever is pushed 21 times, the reward to the rat will stop; under normal circumstances, the rat will continue to push the lever before transforming the strategy (even if there is no reward), then it will push another lever to obtain Reward, but when the nucleus accumbens function in the brain is turned off, it will quickly change behavior and start to push another lever to obtain reward.

　　Therefore, the researchers stated that when a neuron is turned off, its inhibition will only trigger a rapid change in rat behavior; this study is the first to reveal the optogenetic inhibitory effect on nucleus accumbens neurons during reward and false feedback. It can increase the complexity of an individual’s behavior. The nucleus accumbens neurons may only be part of the neurons that perform the reward mechanism. Researcher Wickens said that we are very interested in optogenetic tools. The real challenge is to use them to study the work of the brain. Mechanism, to identify the neural activity that triggers an individual’s special behavior. We believe that using this technology will one day clearly analyze the working principle of the brain.