Semi-orthogonal subspaces for value mediate a binding and generalization trade-off.

ABSTRACT: When choosing between options, we must associate their values with the actions needed to select them. We hypothesize that the brain solves this binding problem through neural population subspaces. Here, in macaques performing a choice task, we show that neural populations in five reward-sensitive regions encode the values of offers presented on the left and right in distinct subspaces. This encoding is sufficient to bind offer values to their locations while preserving abstract value information. After offer presentation, all areas encode the value of the first and second offers in orthogonal subspaces; this orthogonalization also affords binding. Our binding-by-subspace hypothesis makes two new predictions confirmed by the data. First, behavioral errors should correlate with spatial, but

SUBMITTER: Johnston WJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12063212 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature