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Locomotion-dependent auditory gating to the parietal cortex guides multisensory decisions
Ilsong Choi1, Seung-Hee Lee2,3
1Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, IBS, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
Nature Communications
|March 7, 2025
Summary
Locomotion shifts decision-making from auditory to visual dominance by inhibiting auditory cortical neurons. This neural gating mechanism in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is crucial for adapting to changing sensory environments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory processing
- Decision-making
Background:
- Mammalian decision-making integrates multisensory inputs, with flexible resolution based on sensory modality dominance.
- Neural mechanisms for state-dependent shifts in sensory dominance are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how locomotion influences sensory dominance in decision-making.
- To elucidate the neural circuits mediating locomotion-induced shifts in sensory dominance.
Main Methods:
- Circuit-specific calcium imaging in mice.
- Optogenetic manipulations to control neural activity.
- Behavioral tasks assessing audiovisual decision-making during locomotion.
Main Results:
- Locomotion shifts decision-making from auditory to visual dominance during audiovisual conflicts.
- Weakened visual representation in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) correlates with auditory dominance when stationary.
- Locomotion inhibits auditory cortical neurons projecting to the PPC (ACPPC) via secondary motor cortex (M2AC) projections, promoting visual dominance.
Conclusions:
- Locomotion dynamically gates auditory information to the association cortex (PPC).
- The M2AC-ACPPC pathway mediates auditory suppression during locomotion.
- Findings reveal neural circuit basis for state-dependent sensory dominance in multisensory decision-making.
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