Neural landscape diffusion resolves conflicts between needs across time.

ABSTRACT: Animals perform flexible goal-directed behaviours to satisfy their basic physiological needs^1-12. However, little is known about how unitary behaviours are chosen under conflicting needs. Here we reveal principles by which the brain resolves such conflicts between needs across time. We developed an experimental paradigm in which a hungry and thirsty mouse is given free choices between equidistant food and water. We found that mice collect need-appropriate rewards by structuring their choices into persistent bouts with stochastic transitions. High-density electrophysiological recordings during this behaviour revealed distributed single neuron and neuronal population correlates of a persistent internal goal state guiding future choices of the mouse. We captured these phenomena wit

SUBMITTER: Richman EB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10651489 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature