Categorical encoding of decision variables in orbitofrontal cortex.

ABSTRACT: A fundamental and recurrent question in systems neuroscience is that of assessing what variables are encoded by a given population of neurons. Such assessments are often challenging because neurons in one brain area may encode multiple variables, and because neuronal representations might be categorical or non-categorical. These issues are particularly pertinent to the representation of decision variables in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)-an area implicated in economic choices. Here we present a new algorithm to assess whether a neuronal representation is categorical or non-categorical, and to identify the encoded variables if the representation is indeed categorical. The algorithm is based on two clustering procedures, one variable-independent and the other variable-based. The two partiti

SUBMITTER: Onken A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6812845 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature