The Representation of Decision Variables in Orbitofrontal Cortex is Longitudinally Stable

Abstract

The computation and comparison of subjective values underlying economic choices rely on the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). In this area, distinct groups of neurons encode the value of individual options, the binary choice outcome, and the chosen value. These variables capture both the input and the output of the choice process, suggesting that the cell groups found in OFC constitute the building blocks of a decision circuit. Here we show that this neural circuit is longitudinally stable. Using two-photon calcium imaging, we recorded from mice choosing between different juice flavors. Recordings of individual cells continued for up to 20 weeks. For each cell and each pair of sessions, we compared the activity profiles using cosine similarity, and we assessed whether the cell encoded the same variable in both sessions. These analyses revealed a high degree of stability and a modest representational drift. A quantitative estimate indicated this drift would not randomize the circuit within the animals lifetime.