Apologies for multiple postings.
Readers of this list may be interested in the following preprint, to
appear in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience:
http://psych.colorado.edu/~frankmj/papers/BG_DA_model.preprint.pdf
Frank, M.J. (in press). Dynamic dopamine modulation in the basal ganglia:
A neurocomputational account of cognitive deficits in medicated and
non-medicated Parkinsonism. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.
Abstract:
Dopamine (DA) depletion in the basal ganglia (BG) of Parkinson's
patients gives rise to both frontal-like and implicit learning
impairments. Dopaminergic medication alleviates some cognitive
deficits but impairs those that depend on intact areas of the BG,
apparently due to DA ``overdose''. These findings are difficult to
accommodate with verbal theories of BG/DA function, owing to
complexity of system dynamics: DA dynamically modulates function in
the BG, which is itself a modulatory system. This paper presents a
neural network model that instantiates key biological properties and
provides insight into the underlying role of DA in the BG during
learning and execution of cognitive tasks. Specifically, the BG
modulates the execution of ``actions'' (e.g., motor responses and
working memory updating) that are being considered in different
parts of frontal cortex. Phasic changes in DA, which occur during
error feedback, dynamically modulate the BG threshold for
facilitating/suppressing a cortical command in response to
particular stimuli. Reduced dynamic range of DA explains Parkinson
and DA overdose deficits with a single underlying dysfunction,
despite overall differences in raw DA levels. Simulated
Parkinsonism and medication effects provide a theoretical basis for
behavioral data in probabilistic classification and reversal tasks.
The model also provides novel testable predictions for
neuropsychological and pharmacological studies, and motivates
further investigation of BG/DA interactions with prefrontal cortex
in working memory.
|
Home Login Meetings Courses Belgium Maillist Credits Servers Links Archive
Please send comments and suggestions to
Mike Wijnants. |
|
Page last updated on © BBF 1998 all rights reserved |