Abstract
A central function of the brain is to plan, predict and imagine the effect of movement in a dynamically changing environment. Here we show that the position of the vibrissae, sets of mobile tactile sensors on each side of the face, reflects the behavioral state and predicts the movement of mice, head-fixed in a plus-maze floating on air. Whisker position and whisking as well as nose position signal whether the animal is moving backward or forward, turning right or left, standing still or moving, expecting reward or licking. Surprisingly, the relationship between bilateral whisker position and behavioral state has little to do with tactile input from the whiskers. Thus, in addition to a tactile exploratory function, these mobile sensors on the face of a mouse signal the behavioral and motor preparation state of the animal.
Footnotes
Lead Contact: Robert Sachdev
Additional Information: The following funding sources have supported this project: 1) Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Grant No. 2112280105 to MEL; Grant No. LA 3442/3-1 & Grant No. LA 3442/5-1 to MEL) 2) European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and Euratom research and training program 2014–2018 (under grant agreement No. 670118 to MEL). 3) Human Brain Project (EU Grant 720270, HBP SGA1 & SGA2, ‘Context-sensitive Multisensory Object Recognition: A Deep Network Model Constrained by Multi-Level, Multi-Species Data to MEL). 4) Einstein Stiftung.