Matteucci Giulio, Guyoton Maëlle, Mayrhofer Johannes M, Auffret Matthieu, Foustoukos Georgios, Petersen Carl C H, El-Boustani Sami
Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland.
Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), EPFL-SV-BMI-LSENS Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Neuron. 2022 Dec 21;110(24):4176-4193.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.032. Epub 2022 Oct 13.
Behavioral states can influence performance of goal-directed sensorimotor tasks. Yet, it is unclear how altered neuronal sensory representations in these states relate to task performance and learning. We trained water-restricted mice in a two-whisker discrimination task to study cortical circuits underlying perceptual decision-making under different levels of thirst. We identified somatosensory cortices as well as the premotor cortex as part of the circuit necessary for task execution. Two-photon calcium imaging in these areas identified populations selective to sensory or motor events. Analysis of task performance during individual sessions revealed distinct behavioral states induced by decreasing levels of thirst-related motivation. Learning was better explained by improvements in motivational state control rather than sensorimotor association. Whisker sensory representations in the cortex were altered across behavioral states. In particular, whisker stimuli could be better decoded from neuronal activity during high task performance states, suggesting that state-dependent changes of sensory processing influence decision-making.
行为状态会影响目标导向的感觉运动任务的表现。然而，目前尚不清楚这些状态下神经元感觉表征的改变与任务表现和学习之间有何关系。我们训练限水小鼠进行双须辨别任务，以研究不同口渴程度下感知决策背后的皮层回路。我们确定体感皮层以及运动前皮层是任务执行所需回路的一部分。在这些区域进行的双光子钙成像确定了对感觉或运动事件有选择性的神经元群体。对各个实验环节中任务表现的分析揭示了由与口渴相关的动机水平降低所诱发的不同行为状态。用动机状态控制的改善而非感觉运动关联能更好地解释学习情况。皮层中的须感觉表征在不同行为状态下会发生改变。特别是，在高任务表现状态下，从神经元活动中能更好地解码须刺激，这表明感觉处理的状态依赖性变化会影响决策。
