Grant: Project Grant

Understanding the neural mechanisms of natural behavior is of fundamental importance for alleviating the devastating consequences of brain disorders. Our knowledge of these mechanisms comes mainly from studies where humans or animals perform very specific and stereotyped tasks in highly controlled laboratory settings. While this has led to great progress in identifying neural systems involved in specific perceptual, motor, and cognitive processes, it cannot address how these processes are seamlessly integrated during complex, natural behavior. In particular, we do not know which conclusions from laboratory studies translate to the complexity of the real world, or toward improved understanding of how specific deficits impact overall quality of life. For example, many studies have characterized how the activity of specific brain regions reflects the process of decision-making - a fundamental cognitive function impaired in many brain disorders. However, nearly all of those findings come from highly trained animals performing very simple, specific tasks thousands of times. But are the processes similar when an animal does something for the first time? Furthermore, in most experiments animals face simple choices between two actions of a specific type - two objects to reach, two targets to look at, etc. But during natural behavior we can usually choose from among many things to look at or reach to, or do something entirely different. How does the brain decide between not just actions of a specific type, but among all of the opportunities and demands of a complex world? This project will address such questions through neurophysiological recording experiments in monkeys. We will take advantage of chronically implanted multi-electrode systems that allow us to record individual neurons for many weeks over the course of learning, and immersive virtual reality technology that can present animals with naturalistic scenarios without sacrificing rigorous experimental control.