IRCS/Computational Neuroscience Speaker Series: Rafal Bogacz

Rafal Bogacz

Department of Computer Science

University of Bristol

http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/~rafal/

Friday, September 11

12:00-2:00 pm

Optimal decision making in the cortico-basal-ganglia circuit

It has been proposed that during choice tasks based on sensory
information cortical regions integrate evidence supporting alternative
responses, and the basal ganglia act as a central switch resolving the
competition between the cortical areas. This talk will show that many
aspects of the anatomy and physiology of the circuit involving the
cortex and basal ganglia are exactly those required to implement the
computation defined by an optimal statistical test for decision making
between multiple alternatives. In particular, it will be shown that the
equation describing this test can be mapped onto the functional anatomy
of a circuit involving the cortex, basal ganglia and thalamus. This
theory provides many precise and counterintuitive experimental
predictions, ranging from neurophysiology to behaviour. Some of these
predictions have been already validated in existing data.