Context-dependent modulation of natural approach behaviour in mice.

ABSTRACT: Specific features of visual objects innately draw approach responses in animals, and provide natural signals of potential reward. However, visual sampling behaviours and the detection of salient, rewarding stimuli are context and behavioural state-dependent and it remains unclear how visual perception and orienting responses change with specific expectations. To start to address this question, we employed a virtual stimulus orienting paradigm based on prey capture to quantify the conditional expression of visual stimulus-evoked innate approaches in freely moving mice. We found that specific combinations of stimulus features selectively evoked innate approach or freezing responses when stimuli were unexpected. We discovered that prey capture experience, and therefore the expectation of prey

SUBMITTER: Procacci NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7542797 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature