Thalamic Bases of Goal-Directed Behaviors

Abstract

Abstract Thalamic nuclei have been increasingly scrutinized over the past few years in various fields ranging from sensory-motor to cognitive functions. An emerging aspect of their functional contribution is that they appear to play highly integrative roles in largely distributed neural circuits. This chapter aims to document the contribution of the thalamus to flexible and adaptive behaviors that are integral to decision-making. These so-called goal-directed behaviors can be conveniently examined in animal models in the laboratory to examine their neural underpinnings. Multiple thalamic nuclei appear to support goal-directed behaviors with specific and complementary contributions. In particular, thalamic nuclei interact with both prefrontal areas and basal ganglia to initiate adaptive actions, attend to relevant environmental signals, and ultimately shape mental representations. Integrating computational approaches with a systematic input-output mapping of thalamic nuclei may be key to reveal the functional principles that govern thalamic functions. This is most important to advance conceptual and mechanical understanding of multiple mental conditions associated with brain-wide dysconnectivity.