Orbitofrontal cortex spontaneously recovers latent information about outcomes upon devaluation

Abstract

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is critical when the relevance of known information changes. For example, we choose a different road when the primary route is blocked. Yet, most single-unit recording studies focus on information after extensive training-the "daily drive." Under these conditions, the OFC encodes task-relevant information, generalizing across task-irrelevant features, like signs along the way. How does this transformation happen and what happens to irrelevant information that might be necessary later? We explored these questions by recording single-unit activity in rats learning an odor discrimination task in which odors predicted different responses and flavored rewards. Activity evolved to represent task-relevant information; however, irrelevant taste information remained latent in the activity and was recovered spontaneously upon selective satiation. The results provide insight into how the OFC organizes information and suggests that this area is often necessary for adaptive behavior because of an ability to maintain irrelevant information for later use.