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Final Published Version
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Univ Arizona, Grad Interdisciplinary Program NeurosciUniv Arizona, Coll Med, Dept Physiol
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2019-09-18
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SOC NEUROSCIENCECitation
Putnam, P. T., & Gothard, K. M. (2019). Multidimensional Neural Selectivity in the Primate Amygdala. eNeuro, 6(5).Journal
ENEURORights
Copyright © 2019 Putnam and Gothard. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
The amygdala contributes to multiple functions including attention allocation, sensory processing, decision-making, and the elaboration of emotional behaviors. The diversity of functions attributed to the amygdala is reflected in the response selectivity of its component neurons. Previous work claimed that subsets of neurons differentiate between broad categories of stimuli (e.g., objects vs faces, rewards vs punishment), while other subsets are narrowly specialized to respond to individual faces or facial features (e.g., eyes). Here we explored the extent to which the same neurons contribute to more than one neural subpopulation in a task that activated multiple functions of the amygdala. The subjects (Macaca mulatta) watched videos depicting conspecifics or inanimate objects, and learned by trial and error to choose the individuals or objects associated with the highest rewards. We found that the same neurons responded selectively to two or more of the following task events or stimulus features: (1) alerting, task-related stimuli (fixation icon, video start, and video end); (2) reward magnitude; (3) stimulus categories (social vs nonsocial); and (4) stimulus-unique features (faces, eyes). A disproportionate number of neurons showed selectivity for all of the examined stimulus features and task events. These results suggest that neurons that appear specialized and uniquely tuned to specific stimuli (e.g., face cells, eye cells) are likely to respond to multiple other types of stimuli or behavioral events, if/when these become behaviorally relevant in the context of a complex task. This multidimensional selectivity supports a flexible, context-dependent evaluation of inputs and subsequent decision making based on the activity of the same neural ensemble.Note
Open access journalISSN
2373-2822PubMed ID
31533960Version
Final published versionSponsors
United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA [P50-MH100023]ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1523/ENEURO.0153-19.2019
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Copyright © 2019 Putnam and Gothard. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
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