Technical Program

Paper Detail

Paper: PS-2B.24
Session: Poster Session 2B
Location: Symphony/Overture
Session Time: Friday, September 7, 19:30 - 21:30
Presentation Time:Friday, September 7, 19:30 - 21:30
Presentation: Poster
Publication: 2018 Conference on Cognitive Computational Neuroscience, 5-8 September 2018, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Paper Title: Disinhibition as a canonical neural mechanism for flexible behavior
Manuscript:  Click here to view manuscript
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32470/CCN.2018.1165-0
Authors: Dominic Standage, Martin Pare, Gunnar Blohm, Queen's University, Canada
Abstract: Flexibility is a hallmark of human and animal behavior, but the context-dependent neural computations that generate flexible behavior are poorly understood. Here, we use a biophysically-based cortical network model to explore the hypothesis that vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) expressing inhibitory interneurons control local circuit dynamics by targeting other classes of inhibitory interneuron, supporting context-dependent computations. Depending on the strength of this disinhibition (simulating VIP activity), network dynamics support multiple-item working memory (WM, strong disinhibition) or decision making (DM, weak disinhibition). Within these regimes, disinhibition controls WM capacity and speed-accuracy-trade-off in choice behavior. Our findings suggest that long-range trans-cortical VIP-mediated disinhibition is a canonical neural mechanism for the top-down control of flexible behavior.