Humphries, M.D., Gurney, K.N. orcid.org/0000-0003-4771-728X and Prescott, T.J. orcid.org/0000-0003-4927-5390 (2011) The medial reticular formation: a brainstem substrate for simple action selection? In: Seth, A.K., Prescott, T.J. and Bryson, J.J., (eds.) Modelling natural action selection. Cambridge University Press , pp. 300-329. ISBN 9781107000490
Abstract
The search for the neural substrate of vertebrate action selection has focused on structures in the fore- and mid-brain, particularly on the basal ganglia. Yet, the behavioural repertoire of decerebrate and neonatal animals suggests the existence of a relatively self-contained neural substrate for action selection in the brainstem. We propose that the medial reticular formation (mRF) is this substrate's main component, reviewing evidence that the mRF's inputs, outputs, and intrinsic organisation are consistent with the requirements of an action selection system. We argue that the internal architecture of the mRF is composed of interconnected neuron clusters; our quantitative model of this anatomy suggests the mRF's intrinsic circuitry constitutes a small-world network, and may have evolved to reduce axonal wiring. We use computational models to enumerate and illustrate potential configurations of action representation within the internal circuitry of the mRF. We show that each cluster's output could represent activation of an action component; thus, co-activation of a set of these clusters would lead to the coordinated behavioural response observed in the animal. New results are presented that provide evidence for an alternative scheme: inputs to the mRF are organised to contact clusters, but recruit a pattern of reticulo-spinal neurons from across clusters to generate an action. We propose that this reconciles the anatomical structure with behavioural data showing action sequencing is degraded, rather than individual actions lost, as the mRF is progressively lesioned. Finally, we consider the potential integration of the basal ganglia and mRF substrates for selection and suggest they may collectively form a layered/hierarchical control system.
Metadata
Item Type: | Book Section |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © Cambridge University Press 2012. This is an author-produced version of a chapter subsequently published in Modelling natural action selection edited by Anil K. Seth, Tony J. Prescott, Joanna J. Bryson. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Computer Science (Sheffield) The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Psychology (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 19 Apr 2023 15:54 |
Last Modified: | 19 Apr 2023 23:39 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/cbo9780511731525.018 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:198106 |