Neuromodulation of Brain State and Behavior

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Neural activity and behavior exhibit significant variability across trials.
• This variability is increasingly understood as stemming from rapid shifts in underlying neural and cognitive states.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advances in understanding rapid variations in brain states during wakefulness.
• To explore the generation and modulation of these state variations on neural and behavioral responses.
• To propose a framework for understanding brain states as a continuous, non-random wandering.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on neural and behavioral variability.
• Analysis of findings from studies in both mice and humans.
• Synthesis of evidence regarding neural pathways involved in state generation.

Main Results:

• Variations in neural and behavioral responses are largely driven by rapid shifts in brain states.
• These state shifts are generated by ascending modulatory pathways and fast-acting neural circuits.
• Brain states fluctuate continuously and non-randomly.

Conclusions:

• Understanding dynamic brain states is crucial for deciphering the neural basis of cognition and behavior.
• Rapid state variations provide a dynamic backdrop influencing neural processing and behavioral output.
• This framework aids in advancing research on the neural mechanisms of cognition.