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Related Concept Videos

Organization of the Brain01:30

Organization of the Brain

The brain is an integral component of the nervous system and serves as the center for processing sensory inputs, making decisions, and directing bodily actions. This complex organ is organized into three primary sections: the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain, each responsible for a range of vital functions.
Hindbrain
The hindbrain, located at the base of the brain, plays a vital role in regulating automatic processes that sustain life. It includes the medulla oblongata, which is essential for...
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Brainstem: Control Centers of Medulla

The medulla oblongata is a crucial part of the brainstem responsible for controlling various autonomic and involuntary functions. It contains several nuclei, including the olivary, cuneate, gracile, and solitary nuclei.
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Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay01:27

Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay

The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is  a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological states or needs.
Diencephalon: Anatomical Regions01:30

Diencephalon: Anatomical Regions

The diencephalon, etymologically translated as 'through brain,' plays an integral role as the conduit between the cerebrum and the vast extent of the nervous system. However, the olfactory system is an exception, as it interfaces directly with the cerebrum. The diencephalon, deeply ensconced beneath the cerebrum, primarily consists of three paired structures — the thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithelamus. It also includes accessory structures such as the subthalamus, which houses the subthalamic...
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...
Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

Indirect Motor Pathways

The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...

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An Automated T-maze Based Apparatus and Protocol for Analyzing Delay- and Effort-based Decision Making in Free Moving Rodents
07:42

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Published on: August 2, 2018

Midbrain contributions to sensorimotor decision making.

Gidon Felsen1, Zachary F Mainen

  • 1Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA. gidon.felsen@ucdenver.edu

Journal of Neurophysiology
|April 13, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The superior colliculus (SC) plays a broader role in decision-making than previously thought. This brain region influences orienting decisions using odor cues, even without direct olfactory processing.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Decision-Making
  • Sensorimotor Control

Background:

  • Classical theories separate action selection (prefrontal cortex) and implementation (motor regions).
  • Emerging evidence shows motor cortex neurons reflect abstract decision variables, not just motor commands.
  • The superior colliculus (SC) is known for visuomotor control but its general decision-making role is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the superior colliculus (SC) role in non-visual, sensorimotor decision-making.
  • To determine if the SC contributes to decisions beyond its known visuomotor functions.

Main Methods:

  • Recorded neuronal activity from the intermediate and deep layers of the SC in rats.
  • Trained rats on a delayed-response, odor-cued spatial choice task.
  • Analyzed SC neuron firing patterns in relation to movement initiation, task difficulty, and reward outcome.

Main Results:

  • SC neurons fired significantly in advance of movement, predicting directional choices up to 1 second prior.
  • SC activity modulated with task difficulty and reward, reflecting decision variables under sensory uncertainty.
  • These findings suggest SC activity reflects abstract decision computations influencing orienting movements.

Conclusions:

  • The superior colliculus (SC) is involved in general orienting decisions, extending beyond visuomotor control.
  • SC neuron activity reflects abstract decision variables, influencing sensorimotor choices based on various cues.
  • This study broadens the understanding of the SC's function in the nervous system's decision-making processes.