Neuronal Dynamic Framework of Cerebral Cortical Networks for Spontaneous Behaviors

Abstract

Outside from any behavioral task, animals irregularly initiate, keep, and suspend various behaviors in a homogenous and steady environment. The underlying neuronal dynamics for generating, maintaining, and terminating these spontanoues behaviors remain unclear. We approached this challenge by investigating neuronal population activity across cerebral cortical layers and areas using two-photon calcium imaging in head-restrained mice. We show that two distinct control mechanisms of neurobehavioral association employed in producing dynamic patterns of spontaneous behaviors. Our discovery in spontaneous behaviors potentially provides a fundamental and general framework for understanding the brain computations in a broader behavioral context.