Cerebellar Neurodynamics Predict Decision Timing and Outcome on the Single-Trial Level

Publication date: Available online 16 January 2020Source: CellAuthor(s): Qian Lin, Jason Manley, Magdalena Helmreich, Friederike Schlumm, Jennifer M. Li, Drew N. Robson, Florian Engert, Alexander Schier, Tobias Nöbauer, Alipasha VaziriSummaryGoal-directed behavior requires the interaction of multiple brain regions. How these regions and their interactions with brain-wide activity drive action selection is less understood. We have investigated this question by combining whole-brain volumetric calcium imaging using light-field microscopy and an operant-conditioning task in larval zebrafish. We find global, recurring dynamics of brain states to exhibit pre-motor bifurcations toward mutually exclusive decision outcomes. These dynamics arise from a distributed network displaying trial-by-trial functional connectivity changes, especially between cerebellum and habenula, which correlate with decision outcome. Within this network the cerebellum shows particularly strong and predictive pre-motor activity (>10 s before movement initiation), mainly within the granule cells. Turn directions are determined by the difference neuroactivity between the ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres, while the rate of bi-hemispheric population ramping quantitatively predicts decision time on the trial-by-trial level. Our results highlight a cognitive role of the cerebellum and its importance in motor planning.Graphical Abstract

Source: Cell - January 17, 2020 Category: Cytology Source Type: research