Increase in hippocampal theta oscillations during spatial decision making

The processing of spatial and mnemonic information is believed to depend on hippocampal theta oscillations (5–12 Hz). However, in rats both the power and the frequency of the theta rhythm are modulated by locomotor activity, which is a major confounding factor when estimating its cognitive correlate...

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Autores principales: Belchior, Hindiael, Lopes-dos-Santos, Vítor, Tort, Adriano BL, Ribeiro, Sidarta
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: BlackWell Publishing Ltd 2014
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4229028/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24520011
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hipo.22260
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author Belchior, Hindiael
Lopes-dos-Santos, Vítor
Tort, Adriano BL
Ribeiro, Sidarta
author_facet Belchior, Hindiael
Lopes-dos-Santos, Vítor
Tort, Adriano BL
Ribeiro, Sidarta
author_sort Belchior, Hindiael
collection PubMed
description The processing of spatial and mnemonic information is believed to depend on hippocampal theta oscillations (5–12 Hz). However, in rats both the power and the frequency of the theta rhythm are modulated by locomotor activity, which is a major confounding factor when estimating its cognitive correlates. Previous studies have suggested that hippocampal theta oscillations support decision-making processes. In this study, we investigated to what extent spatial decision making modulates hippocampal theta oscillations when controlling for variations in locomotion speed. We recorded local field potentials from the CA1 region of rats while animals had to choose one arm to enter for reward (goal) in a four-arm radial maze. We observed prominent theta oscillations during the decision-making period of the task, which occurred in the center of the maze before animals deliberately ran through an arm toward goal location. In speed-controlled analyses, theta power and frequency were higher during the decision period when compared to either an intertrial delay period (also at the maze center), or to the period of running toward goal location. In addition, theta activity was higher during decision periods preceding correct choices than during decision periods preceding incorrect choices. Altogether, our data support a cognitive function for the hippocampal theta rhythm in spatial decision making.
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spelling pubmed-42290282014-12-15 Increase in hippocampal theta oscillations during spatial decision making Belchior, Hindiael Lopes-dos-Santos, Vítor Tort, Adriano BL Ribeiro, Sidarta Hippocampus Research Articles The processing of spatial and mnemonic information is believed to depend on hippocampal theta oscillations (5–12 Hz). However, in rats both the power and the frequency of the theta rhythm are modulated by locomotor activity, which is a major confounding factor when estimating its cognitive correlates. Previous studies have suggested that hippocampal theta oscillations support decision-making processes. In this study, we investigated to what extent spatial decision making modulates hippocampal theta oscillations when controlling for variations in locomotion speed. We recorded local field potentials from the CA1 region of rats while animals had to choose one arm to enter for reward (goal) in a four-arm radial maze. We observed prominent theta oscillations during the decision-making period of the task, which occurred in the center of the maze before animals deliberately ran through an arm toward goal location. In speed-controlled analyses, theta power and frequency were higher during the decision period when compared to either an intertrial delay period (also at the maze center), or to the period of running toward goal location. In addition, theta activity was higher during decision periods preceding correct choices than during decision periods preceding incorrect choices. Altogether, our data support a cognitive function for the hippocampal theta rhythm in spatial decision making. BlackWell Publishing Ltd 2014-06 2014-02-24 /pmc/articles/PMC4229028/ /pubmed/24520011 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hipo.22260 Text en © 2014 The Authors. Hippocampus Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
spellingShingle Research Articles
Belchior, Hindiael
Lopes-dos-Santos, Vítor
Tort, Adriano BL
Ribeiro, Sidarta
Increase in hippocampal theta oscillations during spatial decision making
title Increase in hippocampal theta oscillations during spatial decision making
title_full Increase in hippocampal theta oscillations during spatial decision making
title_fullStr Increase in hippocampal theta oscillations during spatial decision making
title_full_unstemmed Increase in hippocampal theta oscillations during spatial decision making
title_short Increase in hippocampal theta oscillations during spatial decision making
title_sort increase in hippocampal theta oscillations during spatial decision making
topic Research Articles
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4229028/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24520011
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hipo.22260
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