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Research Articles, Behavioral/Cognitive

Whisking Asymmetry Signals Motor Preparation and the Behavioral State of Mice

Sina E. Dominiak, Mostafa A. Nashaat, Keisuke Sehara, Hatem Oraby, Matthew E. Larkum and Robert N.S. Sachdev
Journal of Neuroscience 4 December 2019, 39 (49) 9818-9830; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1809-19.2019
Sina E. Dominiak
Institut für Biologie, Neurocure Center for Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin & Humboldt Universität, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Mostafa A. Nashaat
Institut für Biologie, Neurocure Center for Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin & Humboldt Universität, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Keisuke Sehara
Institut für Biologie, Neurocure Center for Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin & Humboldt Universität, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Hatem Oraby
Institut für Biologie, Neurocure Center for Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin & Humboldt Universität, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Matthew E. Larkum
Institut für Biologie, Neurocure Center for Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin & Humboldt Universität, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Robert N.S. Sachdev
Institut für Biologie, Neurocure Center for Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin & Humboldt Universität, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Abstract

A central function of the brain is to plan, predict, and imagine the effect of movement in a dynamically changing environment. Here we show that in mice head-fixed in a plus-maze, floating on air, and trained to pick lanes based on visual stimuli, the asymmetric movement, and position of whiskers on the two sides of the face signals whether the animal is moving, turning, expecting reward, or licking. We show that (1) whisking asymmetry is coordinated with behavioral state, and that behavioral state can be decoded and predicted based on asymmetry, (2) even in the absence of tactile input, whisker positioning and asymmetry nevertheless relate to behavioral state, and (3) movement of the nose correlates with asymmetry, indicating that facial expression of the mouse is itself correlated with behavioral state. These results indicate that the movement of whiskers, a behavior that is not instructed or necessary in the task, can inform an observer about what a mouse is doing in the maze. Thus, the position of these mobile tactile sensors reflects a behavioral and movement-preparation state of the mouse.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Behavior is a sequence of movements, where each movement can be related to or can trigger a set of other actions. Here we show that, in mice, the movement of whiskers (tactile sensors used to extract information about texture and location of objects) is coordinated with and predicts the behavioral state of mice: that is, what mice are doing, where they are in space, and where they are in the sequence of behaviors.

  • attention
  • cortical state
  • decoding behavior
  • motor planning
  • somatosensory cortex
  • vibrissae
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The Journal of Neuroscience: 39 (49)
Journal of Neuroscience
Vol. 39, Issue 49
4 Dec 2019
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Whisking Asymmetry Signals Motor Preparation and the Behavioral State of Mice
Sina E. Dominiak, Mostafa A. Nashaat, Keisuke Sehara, Hatem Oraby, Matthew E. Larkum, Robert N.S. Sachdev
Journal of Neuroscience 4 December 2019, 39 (49) 9818-9830; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1809-19.2019

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Whisking Asymmetry Signals Motor Preparation and the Behavioral State of Mice
Sina E. Dominiak, Mostafa A. Nashaat, Keisuke Sehara, Hatem Oraby, Matthew E. Larkum, Robert N.S. Sachdev
Journal of Neuroscience 4 December 2019, 39 (49) 9818-9830; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1809-19.2019
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Keywords

  • attention
  • cortical state
  • decoding behavior
  • motor planning
  • somatosensory cortex
  • vibrissae

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