QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (25) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Esch, T. Articles by Kristan, W. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Esch, T. Articles by Kristan, W. B.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

The Journal of Neuroscience, December 15, 2002, 22(24):11045-11054

Evidence for Sequential Decision Making in the Medicinal Leech

Teresa Esch¹, Karen A. Mesce², and William B. Kristan¹

¹ Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, and ² Departments of Entomology and Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108

Decision making can be a complex task involving a sequence of subdecisions. For example, we decide to pursue a goal (e.g., get something to eat), then decide how to accomplish that goal (e.g., go to a restaurant), and then make a sequence of more specific plans (e.g., which restaurant to go to, how to get there, what to order, etc.). In characterizing the effects of stimulating individual brain neurons in the isolated nervous system of the leech Hirudo medicinalis, we have found evidence that leeches also make decisions sequentially. In this study, we describe a pair of interneurons that elicited locomotory motor programs, either swimming or crawling, in isolated nerve cords. In semi-intact animals, stimulating the same neurons also produced either swimming or crawling, and which behavior was produced could be controlled experimentally by manipulating the depth of saline around the intact part of the leech. These same neurons were excited and fired strongly when swimming or crawling occurred spontaneously or in response to mechanosensory stimulation. We conclude that these brain interneurons help to decide on locomotion (i.e., they are "locomotory command-like neurons") and that the ultimate behavior is determined downstream, in a part of the decision-making hierarchy that monitors stimuli related to the depth of fluid surrounding the leech.

Key words: choice behavior; leeches; neural circuits; motor patterns; multifunctional neurons; locomotion

---

Copyright © 2002 Society for Neuroscience  0270-6474/02/222411045-10$05.00/0

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Berkowitz Physiology and Morphology of Shared and Specialized Spinal Interneurons for Locomotion and Scratching J Neurophysiol, June 1, 2008; 99(6): 2887 - 2901. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. H. Liden and J. Herberholz Behavioral and neural responses of juvenile crayfish to moving shadows J. Exp. Biol., May 1, 2008; 211(9): 1355 - 1361. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. G. Puhl and K. A. Mesce Dopamine Activates the Motor Pattern for Crawling in the Medicinal Leech J. Neurosci., April 16, 2008; 28(16): 4192 - 4200. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-s. Wu, M. R. Due, K. Sasaki, A. Proekt, J. Jing, and K. R. Weiss State Dependence of Spike Timing and Neuronal Function in a Motor Pattern Generating Network J. Neurosci., October 3, 2007; 27(40): 10818 - 10831. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. V. Gabel, H. Gabel, D. Pavlichin, A. Kao, D. A. Clark, and A. D. T. Samuel Neural Circuits Mediate Electrosensory Behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans J. Neurosci., July 11, 2007; 27(28): 7586 - 7596. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Proekt, J. Jing, and K. R. Weiss Multiple Contributions of an Input-Representing Neuron to the Dynamics of the Aplysia Feeding Network J Neurophysiol, April 1, 2007; 97(4): 3046 - 3056. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. M. Crisp and K. A. Mesce Beyond the central pattern generator: amine modulation of decision-making neural pathways descending from the brain of the medicinal leech J. Exp. Biol., May 1, 2006; 209(9): 1746 - 1756. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Cornford, W. B. Kristan III, S. Malnove, W. B. Kristan Jr, and K. A. French Functions of the subesophageal ganglion in the medicinal leech revealed by ablation of neuromeres in embryos J. Exp. Biol., February 1, 2006; 209(3): 493 - 503. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Garcia-Perez, A. Mazzoni, D. Zoccolan, H. P. C. Robinson, and V. Torre Statistics of Decision Making in the Leech J. Neurosci., March 9, 2005; 25(10): 2597 - 2608. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. L. Briggman, H. D. I. Abarbanel, and W. B. Kristan Jr. Optical Imaging of Neuronal Populations During Decision-Making Science, February 11, 2005; 307(5711): 896 - 901. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Mazzoni, E. Garcia-Perez, D. Zoccolan, S. Graziosi, and V. Torre Quantitative Characterization and Classification of Leech Behavior J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2005; 93(1): 580 - 593. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. M. Crisp and K. A. Mesce A cephalic projection neuron involved in locomotion is dye coupled to the dopaminergic neural network in the medicinal leech J. Exp. Biol., December 15, 2004; 207(26): 4535 - 4542. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Proekt, V. Brezina, and K. R. Weiss Dynamical basis of intentions and expectations in a simple neuronal network PNAS, June 22, 2004; 101(25): 9447 - 9452. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help