Neuromodulation and time-dependent plasticity in a model of foraging behavior

In foraging behavior, where an animal searches for food caches, it is imperative for the animal to remember the locations and routes to these caches. An important consideration is the means by which the organism takes the appropriate actions to lead it to a goal that satisfies a particular need. We introduce a time-dependent plasticity rule that biases movement in a particular direction by developing asymmetric neuronal receptive fields through experience. The model contains hippocampal areas that respond differentially to locations in space, frontal cortex areas that respond to different salient cues from the environment, and neuromodulators that respond to rewards and costs. This model suggests a means by which neuromodulated time-dependent plasticity in the frontal cortex can facilitate action selection. It also suggests how these neuronal responses may lead to successful performance in a foraging task.