How the brain makes decisions

Question 1

What does in depth messages mean?

Answer 1

Messages were encoded by identical configurations

Question 2

What are Marr’s 3 levels of analysis?

Answer 2

1. Computational problem
2. Algorithm
   - drift diffusion model of evidence accumulation
3. Physical implementation
   - Ramping up neural activity to a threshold

Question 3

What do decision bounds define?

Answer 3

Stopping point

Question 4

What happens if you move the decision bound?

Answer 4

Adjusts the trade off between speed and accuracy

- explains why being forced to decide to early could lead to inaccuracy

Question 5

Where does evidence accumulation appear?

Answer 5

Spike rate of lateral interparietal area of visual cortex

Question 6

What does stronger sensory input lead to? (LIP activity)

Answer 6

LIP activity changes faster

Question 7

What happens when you Line up LIP activity with the animal’s behavior?

Answer 7

LIP reaches a common threshold ~70 ms before action

Question 8

What does FoxP code for?

Answer 8

Kv4 K+ channel

Question 9

What happens if there is a mutation and a upregulation of K+ channels? (Kenyon cells)

Answer 9

Makes it harder to depolarise

Question 10

What does this mutation do in K+ channels in kenyon cells?

Answer 10

Slows down rate of evidence accumulation