Information processing across behavioral states: Modes of operation and population dynamics in rodent sensory cortex

Animals live in a complex and changing environment with various degrees of behavioral demands. In rodents, the behavioral states can change from sleep and quiet wakefulness to active exploration of the environment which is often manifested by whisking and locomotion. Efficient information processing is more important in some of these behavioral states such as during episodes of sensory decision-making, and specific cortical areas are expected to receive priority of processing depending on the behavioral context. It is therefore not surprising that the behavioral state affects the responsiveness of individual cortical neurons and the dynamics of neuronal population activity. Here, we review the circuit mechanisms that determine the operating mode of the sensory cortex. We explore state modulations across multiple sensory modalities, but maintain a focus on whisker-mediated behaviors, the processing of information in the vibrissal somatosensory cortex and its transfer to higher order areas. Finally, we suggest a rodent sensory prioritization paradigm to further probe the link between behavioral state, neuronal population dynamics and coding efficiency.