Cited by 81Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeural dynamics and brain function

Time representation in reinforcement learning models of the basal ganglia

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Gershman, Samuel J., Moustafa, Ahmed A., Ludvig, Elliot A.·2014·Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience

Abstract

Reinforcement learning (RL) models have been influential in understanding many aspects of basal ganglia function, from reward prediction to action selection. Time plays an important role in these models, but there is still no theoretical consensus about what kind of time representation is used by the basal ganglia. We review several theoretical accounts and their supporting evidence. We then discuss the relationship between RL models and the timing mechanisms that have been attributed to the basal ganglia. We hypothesize that a single computational system may underlie both RL and interval timing-the perception of duration in the range of seconds to hours. This hypothesis, which extends earlier models by incorporating a time-sensitive action selection mechanism, may have important implications for understanding disorders like Parkinson's disease in which both decision making and timing are impaired.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fncom.2013.00194

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  • Traditional models of how animals perform trace conditioning tasks make a variety of implicit assumptions about how animals represent the passage of time.

    “Traditional models of how animals perform trace conditioning tasks like the ones we consider here make a variety of implicit assumptions about how animals represent the passage of time [39,40].”
  • If the system is given access to appropriate memory stores and representations of temporal context, this could mitigate the need for temporal credit assignment as such.

    “If the system is given access to appropriate memory stores and representations (Buonomano and Merzenich, 1995; Gershman et al., 2012, 2014) of temporal context, this could potentially mitigate the need for temporal credit assignment as such”

    From Toward an integration of deep learning and neuroscience (2016) · cites this paper as Gershman et al., 2014

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Authors
Gershman, S. J., Moustafa, A. A., & Ludvig, E. A.
Affiliations
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
  • Western Sydney University (AU)
  • Princeton University (US)
Corresponding author
Gershman, Samuel J.
Venue
Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience
Published
2014
Volume
7
Pages
194-194
ISSN
1662-5188 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2046813707
Cited by
81
References
79
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 2
FWCI
5.02
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Warwick Research Archive Portal (University of Warwick) (acceptedVersion)
  • DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity
  • National Institute on Aging (P30AG024361)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
Keywords
basal ganglia, reinforcement learning models, representation of time, interval timing, duration perception, action selection, reward prediction, Parkinson's disease, decision-making

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