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A data-driven computational framework to discover how behavior impacts processing in mouse visual cortex

Project description

How behaviour affects motor signals in mouse visual cortex

In rodents, the visual cortex connects motor and visual signals, but this interaction in freely moving animals remains poorly understood. A data-driven, in silico approach can help integrate data into a model that captures the interactions between physiology, behaviour, and the environment. The ERC-funded Vision2Action project will create an in silico framework to study how motor behaviour impacts visual processing in freely moving mice. By uncovering the relationship between visual and motor tuning in the mouse visual cortex, the project will test computational theories and develop models to quantify their effects on behaviour. The findings will enhance our understanding of motor signals in the visual cortex and provide valuable insights for neuroscience applications.

Objective

Our movements influence how we perceive the world. Our eyes are attached to a behaving body creating a complex dynamical stream of input that can provide additional information if we know the movement pattern. The interaction between motor and visual signals is especially pronounced in rodent visual cortex that exhibits a substantial, multi-dimensional contribution from motor signals, even in early visual areas. However, a fundamental principle that governs the interaction between visual and motor signals across neurons and visual areas is currently unknown, especially for freely moving animals. I hypothesize that the interaction between visual and motor
tuning in mouse visual cortex provide the animal with a consistent and behaviorally beneficial multi-modal picture of its environment. However, studying the interaction between motor behavior and sensory processing is challenging as experiments face a trade-off between experimental control in head-fixed animals (but limited movement) and the availability of rich movement signals in freely moving animals (but limited experimental control). I propose that this trade-off can be bridged by a data-driven in silico neuroscience approach that compiles experimental data into a digital twin that captures the interaction between physiology, motor behavior, internal state, and a model of the environment. The goal of this proposal is to build such an in silico framework to capture the detailed influence of motor behavior on visual processing in freely behaving mice. I will use this framework to discover fundamental organizational principles of the relation between visual and motor tuning across neurons and areas in mouse visual cortex, use them to test computational theories, and develop computational models to quantify their behavioral benefit. This project will not only change our view on the influence of motor signals in visual cortex, but also yield a computational framework with countless applications in neuroscience.

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2024-COG

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Host institution

GEORG-AUGUST-UNIVERSITAT GOTTINGEN STIFTUNG OFFENTLICHEN RECHTS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 450 783,00
Address
WILHELMSPLATZ 1
37073 Gottingen
Germany

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Region
Niedersachsen Braunschweig Göttingen
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 450 783,00

Beneficiaries (2)

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