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Cortical sensory processing across motivational states during goal-directed behavior
Giulio Matteucci1, Maëlle Guyoton1, Johannes M Mayrhofer2
1Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland.
Neuron
|October 14, 2022
Summary
Behavioral states, like thirst, alter whisker sensory processing in the brain. Improved control over motivation, not just sensory learning, enhances task performance and decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Behavioral states significantly impact goal-directed sensorimotor tasks.
- The relationship between altered neural sensory representations during these states and task performance/learning remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how varying levels of thirst (behavioral state) affect cortical circuits involved in perceptual decision-making.
- To understand the link between neural sensory processing, behavioral states, and learning in a sensorimotor task.
Main Methods:
- Mice were trained on a two-whisker discrimination task under water restriction.
- Two-photon calcium imaging was used to monitor neuronal activity in the somatosensory and premotor cortices.
- Behavioral states were analyzed based on task performance and thirst-related motivation levels.
Main Results:
- Distinct behavioral states, driven by thirst-related motivation, were identified.
- Learning was more strongly correlated with improved motivational state control than sensorimotor association.
- Whisker sensory representations in the cortex varied across behavioral states, with better stimulus decoding during high performance.
Conclusions:
- Thirst-induced behavioral states alter cortical sensory processing.
- Motivational state control is crucial for learning and task performance in sensorimotor tasks.
- State-dependent sensory processing influences perceptual decision-making.
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