Goal-directed learning is multidimensional and accompanied by diverse and widespread changes in neocortical signaling

Abstract New tasks are often learned in stages with each stage reflecting a different learning challenge. Accordingly, each learning stage is likely mediated by distinct neuronal processes. And yet, most rodent studies of the neuronal correlates of goal-directed learning focus on individual outcome...

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Published in:	Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. 1991) Vol. 34; no. 8
Main Authors:	Marrero, Krista, Aruljothi, Krithiga, Delgadillo, Christian, Kabbara, Sarah, Swatch, Lovleen, Zagha, Edward
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States Oxford University Press 01-08-2024
Subjects:	Animals Conditioning, Operant - physiology Discrimination Learning - physiology Female Goals Learning - physiology Male Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL Neocortex - physiology Neurons - physiology Vibrissae - physiology somatosensory learning neocortex mouse behavior imaging
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Summary:	Abstract New tasks are often learned in stages with each stage reflecting a different learning challenge. Accordingly, each learning stage is likely mediated by distinct neuronal processes. And yet, most rodent studies of the neuronal correlates of goal-directed learning focus on individual outcome measures and individual brain regions. Here, we longitudinally studied mice from naïve to expert performance in a head-fixed, operant conditioning whisker discrimination task. In addition to tracking the primary behavioral outcome of stimulus discrimination, we tracked and compared an array of object-based and temporal-based behavioral measures. These behavioral analyses identify multiple, partially overlapping learning stages in this task, consistent with initial response implementation, early stimulus–response generalization, and late response inhibition. To begin to understand the neuronal foundations of these learning processes, we performed widefield Ca2+ imaging of dorsal neocortex throughout learning and correlated behavioral measures with neuronal activity. We found distinct and widespread correlations between neocortical activation patterns and various behavioral measures. For example, improvements in sensory discrimination correlated with target stimulus evoked activations of response-related cortices along with distractor stimulus evoked global cortical suppression. Our study reveals multidimensional learning for a simple goal-directed learning task and generates hypotheses for the neuronal modulations underlying these various learning processes.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1047-3211 1460-2199 1460-2199
DOI:	10.1093/cercor/bhae328