Visualizing neural activities using Rastermap with behavioral annotations.

By simultaneously recording the activity of tens of thousands of neurons, new research finds that learning may occur even when there are no specific tasks or goals involved.

The researchers designed experiments where mice ran in linear virtual reality corridors featuring various visual textures, akin to real-world environments. Some textures were linked to rewards, while others were not. After the mice learned the rules of an experiment, the researchers made subtle adjustments, altering the textures and the presence of rewards.

The researchers then used Rastermap, a new visualization tool they developed, to uncover activity patterns in these large-scale neural recordings. They discovered that certain areas of the visual cortex were encoding visual features even without the animal being trained on a task. When a task was introduced, other areas of the cortex responded.

Credt: Lin Zhong/HHMI Janelia Research Campus

Видео Visualizing neural activities using Rastermap with behavioral annotations. канала HHMI's Janelia Research Campus