Current Opinion in Neurobiology,
Journal Year:
2020,
Volume and Issue:
67, P. 163 - 173
Published: Dec. 25, 2020
During
navigation,
animals
integrate
sensory
information
with
body
movements
to
guide
actions.
The
impact
of
both
navigational
and
movement-related
signals
on
cortical
visual
processing
remains
largely
unknown.
We
review
recent
studies
in
awake
rodents
that
have
revealed
navigation-related
the
primary
cortex
(V1)
including
speed,
distance
travelled
head-orienting
movements.
Both
subcortical
inputs
convey
self-motion
related
V1
neurons:
for
example,
top-down
from
secondary
motor
retrosplenial
cortices
about
head
spatial
expectations.
Within
V1,
subtypes
inhibitory
neurons
are
critical
integration
signals.
conclude
potential
functional
roles
gain
control,
error
predictive
coding.
Science,
Journal Year:
2019,
Volume and Issue:
364(6437)
Published: April 19, 2019
Neuron
activity
across
the
brain
How
is
it
that
groups
of
neurons
dispersed
through
interact
to
generate
complex
behaviors?
Three
papers
in
this
issue
present
brain-scale
studies
neuronal
and
dynamics
(see
Perspective
by
Huk
Hart).
Allen
et
al.
found
thirsty
mice,
there
widespread
neural
related
stimuli
elicit
licking
drinking.
Individual
encoded
task-specific
responses,
but
every
area
contained
with
different
types
response.
Optogenetic
stimulation
thirst-sensing
one
reinstated
drinking
previously
signaled
thirst.
Gründemann
investigated
mouse
basal
amygdala
relation
behavior
during
tasks.
Two
ensembles
showed
orthogonal
exploratory
nonexploratory
behaviors,
possibly
reflecting
levels
anxiety
experienced
these
areas.
Stringer
analyzed
spontaneous
firing,
finding
primary
visual
cortex
both
information
motor
facial
movements.
The
variability
responses
mainly
arousal
reflects
encoding
latent
behavioral
states.
Science
,
p.
eaav3932
eaav8736
eaav7893
;
see
also
236
Nature Methods,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
21(7), P. 1329 - 1339
Published: July 1, 2024
Abstract
Keypoint
tracking
algorithms
can
flexibly
quantify
animal
movement
from
videos
obtained
in
a
wide
variety
of
settings.
However,
it
remains
unclear
how
to
parse
continuous
keypoint
data
into
discrete
actions.
This
challenge
is
particularly
acute
because
are
susceptible
high-frequency
jitter
that
clustering
mistake
for
transitions
between
Here
we
present
keypoint-MoSeq,
machine
learning-based
platform
identifying
behavioral
modules
(‘syllables’)
without
human
supervision.
Keypoint-MoSeq
uses
generative
model
distinguish
noise
behavior,
enabling
identify
syllables
whose
boundaries
correspond
natural
sub-second
discontinuities
pose
dynamics.
outperforms
commonly
used
alternative
methods
at
these
transitions,
capturing
correlations
neural
activity
and
behavior
classifying
either
solitary
or
social
behaviors
accordance
with
annotations.
also
works
multiple
species
generalizes
beyond
the
syllable
timescale,
fast
sniff-aligned
movements
mice
spectrum
oscillatory
fruit
flies.
Keypoint-MoSeq,
therefore,
renders
accessible
modular
structure
through
standard
video
recordings.
Cell Reports,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
44(2), P. 115254 - 115254
Published: Feb. 1, 2025
Sniffing
is
a
specialized
respiratory
behavior
that
enables
rodents
to
localize
and
track
objects
in
their
environment.
The
organum
vasculosum
of
the
lamina
terminalis
(OVLT)
critically
involved
regulation
thirst
water
intake,
yet
its
role
controlling
thirst-driven
exploratory
sniffing
behaviors
remains
unclear.
This
study
demonstrates
hypertonic
stimulation
significantly
increases
activates
OVLT
glutamatergic
(OVLTGlut)
neurons.
Photostimulation
both
OVLTGlut
neurons
axon
terminals
within
paraventricular
nucleus
hypothalamus
(PVN)
induces
robust
sniffing.
Furthermore,
ablation
PVN
projecting
preBötzinger
complex
not
only
reduces
time
induced
by
photostimulation
but
also
prolongs
drinking
latency.
These
findings
identify
OVLTGlut-PVN-preBötzinger
circuit
as
pivotal
regulator
sniffing,
providing
insights
into
neural
mechanisms
underlying
behavior.
Nature Communications,
Journal Year:
2020,
Volume and Issue:
11(1)
Published: Feb. 6, 2020
Abstract
Voluntary
action
is
a
fundamental
element
of
self-consciousness.
The
readiness
potential
(RP),
slow
drift
neural
activity
preceding
self-initiated
movement,
has
been
suggested
to
reflect
processes
underlying
the
preparation
voluntary
action;
yet
more
than
fifty
years
after
its
introduction,
interpretation
RP
remains
controversial.
Based
on
previous
research
showing
that
internal
bodily
signals
affect
sensory
processing
and
ongoing
activity,
we
here
investigated
role
interoceptive
in
RP.
We
report
(1)
participants
initiate
actions
frequently
during
expiration,
(2)
this
respiration-action
coupling
absent
externally
triggered
actions,
(3)
amplitude
modulated
depending
respiratory
phase.
Our
findings
demonstrate
coupled
with
system
further
suggest
associated
fluctuations
are
driven
by
involuntary
cyclic
motor
act
breathing.
Current Biology,
Journal Year:
2020,
Volume and Issue:
30(23), P. 4665 - 4681.e6
Published: Oct. 1, 2020
Spatial
orientation
requires
the
execution
of
lateralized
movements
and
a
change
in
animal's
heading
response
to
multiple
sensory
modalities.
While
much
research
has
focused
on
circuits
for
integration,
chiefly
midbrain
superior
colliculus
(SC),
downstream
cells
that
engage
adequate
motor
actions
have
remained
elusive.
Furthermore,
mechanisms
supporting
trajectory
changes
are
still
speculative.
Here,
using
transneuronal
viral
tracings
mice,
we
show
brainstem
V2a
neurons,
genetically
defined
subtype
glutamatergic
neurons
reticular
formation,
receive
putative
synaptic
inputs
from
contralateral
SC.
This
makes
them
candidate
relay
orienting
commands.
We
next
unilateral
optogenetic
activations
vivo
evoked
ipsilateral
orienting-like
responses
head
nose
tip
stationary
mice.
When
animals
walking,
similar
stimulations
impose
transient
locomotor
arrest
followed
by
trajectory.
Third,
reveal
these
distinct
controlled
dedicated
subsets
each
projecting
specific
spinal
cord
segment,
with
at
least
(1)
lumbar-projecting
subset
whose
activation
specifically
controls
speed
but
neither
impacts
nor
evokes
movements,
(2)
cervical-projecting
orientation,
not
speed.
Activating
latter
suffices
steer
animals'
directional
heading,
placing
as
prime
driver
their
modular
organization
may
therefore
underlie
orchestration
during
multi-faceted
behaviors.