scholarly journals Cortical and striatal circuits together encode transitions in natural behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (41) ◽  
pp. eabc1173
Author(s):  
Joel Sjöbom ◽  
Martin Tamtè ◽  
Pär Halje ◽  
Ivani Brys ◽  
Per Petersson
Keyword(s):  
Dorsal Striatum ◽  
Exact Nature ◽  
Grooming Behavior ◽  
Natural Behavior ◽  
Sequential Behavior ◽  
Neuronal Coding ◽  
Behavioral Transitions ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
Action Sequences ◽  
Motor Actions

In natural behavior, we fluidly change from one type of activity to another in a sequence of motor actions. Corticostriatal circuits are thought to have a particularly important role in the construction of action sequences, but neuronal coding of a sequential behavior consisting of different motor programs has not been investigated at the circuit level in corticostriatal networks, making the exact nature of this involvement elusive. Here, we show, by analyzing spontaneous self-grooming in rats, that neuronal modulation in motor cortex and dorsal striatum is strongly related to transitions between behaviors. Our data suggest that longer action sequences in rodent grooming behavior emerge from stepwise control of individual behavioral transitions, where future actions are encoded differently depending on current motor state. This state-dependent motor coding was found to differentiate between rare behavioral transitions and as opposed to more habitual sequencing of actions.

scholarly journals VIP interneurons in mouse whisker S1 exhibit sensory and action-related signals during goal-directed behavior

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepa L Ramamurthy ◽  
Andrew Chen ◽  
Patrick C Huang ◽  
Priyanka Bharghavan ◽  
Gayathri Krishna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Activity ◽  
Inhibitory Neuron ◽  
Sensory Cortex ◽  
Related Activity ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
Sensory Responses ◽  
Motor Actions ◽  
First Time ◽  
Goal Directed Behavior

Vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing (VIP) interneurons, which constitute 10-15% of the cortical inhibitory neuron population, have emerged as an important cell type for regulating excitatory cell activity based on behavioral state. VIP cells in sensory cortex are potently engaged by neuromodulatory and motor inputs during active exploratory behaviors like locomotion and whisking, which in turn promote pyramidal cell firing via disinhibition. Such state-dependent modulation of activity by VIP cells in sensory cortex has been studied widely in recent years. However, the function of VIP cells during goal-directed behavior is less well understood. It is not clear how task-related events like sensory stimuli, motor actions, or reward activate VIP cells in sensory cortex since there is often temporal overlap in the occurrence of these events. We developed a Go/NoGo whisker touch detection task which incorporates a post-stimulus delay period to separate sensory-driven activity from action- or reward-related activity during behavior. We used 2-photon calcium imaging to measure task-related signals of L2/3 VIP neurons in S1 of behaving mice. We report for the first time that VIP cells in mouse whisker S1 are activated by both whisker stimuli and goal-directed licking. Whisker- and lick-related signals were spatially organized in relation to anatomical columns in S1. Sensory responses of VIP cells were tuned to specific whiskers, whether or not they also displayed lick-related activity.

scholarly journals The dorsal striatum sets the sensitivity to effort

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria-Teresa Jurado-Parras ◽  
Mostafa Safaie ◽  
Stefania Sarno ◽  
Jordane Louis ◽  
Corane Karoutchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Function ◽  
Dorsal Striatum ◽  
Movement Speed ◽  
Exact Nature ◽  
Voluntary Movements ◽  
Movement Kinematics ◽  
Reward Seeking ◽  
Control Framework ◽  
Increased Sensitivity ◽  
Procedural Decisions

AbstractThe dorsal striatum (dS) has been implicated in storing and retrieving procedural memories and controlling movement kinematics (e.g., speed). Since procedural memories are expressed through movements, the exact nature of the dS function has proven difficult to delineate. Here we challenged rats in complementary tasks designed to alleviate this performance confound. Surprisingly, dS lesions spared task-specific procedural memories but altered the kinematics of their expression in motor routines. Further behavioral analyses combined with simulations in the optimal control framework indicated that these alterations reflected an increased sensitivity to effort with preserved reward-seeking and ability to modulate movement speed. By setting the sensitivity to effort, the dS contributes to the optimization of the energy invested into voluntary movements. Such an elementary function of the dS might explain its implication in both procedural decisions and the control of movement speed.

scholarly journals Air-Track: a real-world floating environment for active sensing in head-fixed mice

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 1542-1553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa A. Nashaat ◽  
Hatem Oraby ◽  
Robert N. S. Sachdev ◽  
York Winter ◽  
Matthew E. Larkum
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Recording Equipment ◽  
Camera System ◽  
Natural Behavior ◽  
Head Fixation ◽  
Tightly Coupled ◽  
Air Table ◽  
Motor Actions

Natural behavior occurs in multiple sensory and motor modalities and in particular is dependent on sensory feedback that constantly adjusts behavior. To investigate the underlying neuronal correlates of natural behavior, it is useful to have access to state-of-the-art recording equipment (e.g., 2-photon imaging, patch recordings, etc.) that frequently requires head fixation. This limitation has been addressed with various approaches such as virtual reality/air ball or treadmill systems. However, achieving multimodal realistic behavior in these systems can be challenging. These systems are often also complex and expensive to implement. Here we present “Air-Track,” an easy-to-build head-fixed behavioral environment that requires only minimal computational processing. The Air-Track is a lightweight physical maze floating on an air table that has all the properties of the “real” world, including multiple sensory modalities tightly coupled to motor actions. To test this system, we trained mice in Go/No-Go and two-alternative forced choice tasks in a plus maze. Mice chose lanes and discriminated apertures or textures by moving the Air-Track back and forth and rotating it around themselves. Mice rapidly adapted to moving the track and used visual, auditory, and tactile cues to guide them in performing the tasks. A custom-controlled camera system monitored animal location and generated data that could be used to calculate reaction times in the visual and somatosensory discrimination tasks. We conclude that the Air-Track system is ideal for eliciting natural behavior in concert with virtually any system for monitoring or manipulating brain activity.

scholarly journals Dorsal striatum coding for the timely execution of action sequences

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Cecilia Martinez ◽  
Camila Lidia Zold ◽  
Mario Gustavo Murer ◽  
Mariano Andrés Belluscio
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Waiting Time ◽  
Dorsal Striatum ◽  
Temporal Discounting ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Action Sequence ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Action Sequences ◽  
Adolescent Rats

The automatic initiation of actions can be highly functional. But occasionally these actions cannot be withheld and are released at inappropriate times, impulsively. Striatal activity has been shown to participate in the timing of action sequence initiation and it has been linked to impulsivity. Using a self-initiated task, we trained adult rats to withhold a rewarded action sequence until a waiting time interval has elapsed. By analyzing neuronal activity we show that the striatal response preceding the initiation of the learned sequence is strongly modulated by the time subjects wait before eliciting the sequence. Interestingly, the modulation is steeper in adolescent rats, which show a strong prevalence of impulsive responses compared to adults. We hypothesize this anticipatory striatal activity reflects the animals' subjective reward expectation, based on the elapsed waiting time, while its steeper waiting modulation in adolescence reflects age-related differences in temporal discounting, internal urgency states or explore-exploit balance.

scholarly journals Variation and Variability in Drosophila Grooming Behavior

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Mueller ◽  
Neil Zhang ◽  
Jean M. Carlson ◽  
Julie H. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Heterogeneity ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Genetic Differences ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Sequence Variability ◽  
Behavioral Differences ◽  
Grooming Behavior ◽  
Duration Of Action ◽  
Action Sequences

Behavioral differences can be observed between species or populations (variation) or between individuals in a genetically similar population (variability). Here, we investigate genetic differences as a possible source of variation and variability in Drosophila grooming. Grooming confers survival and social benefits. Grooming features of five Drosophila species exposed to a dust irritant were analyzed. Aspects of grooming behavior, such as anterior to posterior progression, were conserved between and within species. However, significant differences in activity levels, proportion of time spent in different cleaning movements, and grooming syntax were identified between species. All species tested showed individual variability in the order and duration of action sequences. Genetic diversity was not found to correlate with grooming variability within a species: melanogaster flies bred to increase or decrease genetic heterogeneity exhibited similar variability in grooming syntax. Individual flies observed on consecutive days also showed grooming sequence variability. Standardization of sensory input using optogenetics reduced but did not eliminate this variability. In aggregate, these data suggest that sequence variability may be a conserved feature of grooming behavior itself. These results also demonstrate that large genetic differences result in distinguishable grooming phenotypes (variation), but that genetic heterogeneity within a population does not necessarily correspond to an increase in the range of grooming behavior (variability).

scholarly journals Dopamine D1 receptor signalling differentially regulates action sequences and turning behaviour in freely moving Drosophila

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Kottler ◽  
Richard Faville ◽  
Jessika Bridi ◽  
Frank Hirth
Keyword(s):  
Motor Activity ◽  
D1 Receptor ◽  
Central Complex ◽  
Motor Action ◽  
Receptor Signalling ◽  
Action Sequences ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
Turning Behaviour ◽  
Freely Moving ◽  
Motor Actions

AbstractHere, we introduce a novel behavioural paradigm to study neural circuits and mechanisms underlying action selection and decision-making in freely moving Drosophila. We first validate our approach by studying FoxP mutants and show that normally invariant patterns of motor activity and turning behaviour are altered in these flies, reminiscent of indecision. Then, focusing on central complex (CX) circuits known to integrate different sensory modalities and controlling premotor regions, we show that action sequences and turning behaviour are regulated by dopamine D1 (Dop1R1) receptor signalling. Dop1R1 inputs onto CX columnar wedge and ellipsoid body R2/R4m ring neuron circuits both negatively gate motor activity but inversely control turning behaviour. While flies deficient of D1 receptor signalling present normal turning behaviour despite decreased activity, restoring Dop1R1 level in R2/R4m-specific circuitry affects the temporal organisation of motor actions and turning. These findings suggest that columnar wedge and ring neuron circuits of the CX differentially modulate patterns of motor action sequences and turning behaviour by comparative Dop1R1 signalling for goal-directed locomotion.

Behavioral Taxonomy of Undergraduate Pilot Training Tasks and Skills

1975 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 266-270
Author(s):  
Robert P. Meyer ◽  
Jack I. Laveson ◽  
Neal S. Weissman ◽  
Edward E. Eddowes
Keyword(s):  
Air Force ◽  
Data Retrieval ◽  
Analytical Tool ◽  
Pilot Training ◽  
Classification Rules ◽  
Mental Action ◽  
Motor Action ◽  
Action Sequences ◽  
Motor Actions ◽  
Mental Actions

The analysis and specification of fundamental flying abilities which comprise the training objectives of Air Force undergraduate pilot training (UPT) was performed. The taxonomy of UPT tasks and skills is an analytical tool of considerable generality that can be used to aid in understanding the essential requirements of flying training. Surface analyses of fifty UPT maneuvers generated task element descriptions subdivided into a series of cue, mental action, and motor action sequences. The resulting task information was used to identify the pilot skills required to execute the flying tasks described. A set of classification rules organized the skills into a taxonornic cubic concept in which cues, mental actions, and motor actions represented cube faces. The classification rules were validated empirically and used to verify all surface analyses. The required task skills were then organized into a matrix system for simple data retrieval operations.

scholarly journals Restoration of Dopamine Signaling to the Dorsal Striatum Is Sufficient for Aspects of Active Maternal Behavior in Female Mice

Endocrinology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 154 (11) ◽  
pp. 4316-4327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles W. Henschen ◽  
Richard D. Palmiter ◽  
Martin Darvas
Keyword(s):  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Maternal Behavior ◽  
Dorsal Striatum ◽  
Separate Group ◽  
Grooming Behavior ◽  
Female Mice ◽  
Pup Retrieval ◽  
Dopamine Signaling ◽  
Motivated Behaviors ◽  
Goal Directed Behavior

Striatal dopamine (DA) is important for motivated behaviors, including maternal behavior. Recent evidence linking the dorsal striatum with goal-directed behavior suggests that DA signaling in the dorsal striatum, not just the nucleus accumbens, could be involved in maternal behavior. To investigate this question, we tested the maternal behavior of mice with DA genetically restricted to the dorsal striatum. These mice had a mild deficit in pup retrieval but had normal licking/grooming and nursing behavior; consequently, pups were weaned successfully. We also tested a separate group of mice with severely depleted DA in all striatal areas. They had severe deficits in pup retrieval and licking/grooming behavior, whereas nursing behavior was left intact; again, pups survived to weaning at normal rates. We conclude that DA signaling in the striatum is a part of the circuitry mediating maternal behavior and is specifically relevant for active, but not passive, maternal behaviors. In addition, DA in the dorsal striatum is sufficient to allow for active maternal behavior.

Identification of two forebrain structures that mediate execution of memorized sequences in the pigeon

2013 ◽  
Vol 109 (4) ◽  
pp. 958-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sascha Helduser ◽  
Sen Cheng ◽  
Onur Güntürkün
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Learning ◽  
Reaction Time Task ◽  
Serial Reaction Time Task ◽  
Sequence Information ◽  
Sequential Behavior ◽  
Model Animal ◽  
Action Sequences ◽  
Serial Reaction ◽  
Sequence Execution

The execution of action sequences is the basis of most behavior. However, little is known about the neural foundation of visuomotor sequence execution in birds, although pigeons are a classic model animal to study sequence learning and production. Recently, we identified two structures in the pigeon brain, the nidopallium intermedium medialis pars laterale (NIML) and the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), that are involved in the execution of a serial reaction time task (SRTT). In the SRTT sequence execution is always cue guided. Thus the previous study could not unambiguously clarify whether NCL and NIML contribute to a memory-based execution of sequential behavior. In addition, a possibly differential role of these two structures could not be identified. Therefore, the present study was conducted to further elucidate the role of NCL and NIML in sequence execution in a task where pigeons performed a memorized four-item sequence. Transient inactivation of each NIML and NCL severely impaired sequence execution. The results confirm and extend our previous findings. NIML and NCL seem to store sequence information in parallel. However, the results support the hypothesis that NCL, in contrast to NIML, is especially required for sequence initiation.

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