Researchers publish brain map showing how decisions are made
21 hours ago
- #neuroscience
- #brain-mapping
- #decision-making
- Neuroscientists from 22 labs collaborated to create a neural map showing brain activity during decision-making in mice.
- The study involved 139 mice, tracking over 600,000 neurons across 279 brain areas, covering about 95% of a mouse's brain.
- This is the first complete map of brain activity during decision-making, marking a major milestone in neuroscience.
- The research was published in two studies in the journal Nature, detailing widespread neural activity and how expectations influence choices.
- Advanced tools like Neuropixels probes enabled recording from thousands of neurons simultaneously, a significant leap from previous methods.
- The study revealed that decision-making involves widespread brain activity, not just limited to sensory and cognitive areas.
- Mice were trained to respond to visual prompts, with brain activity recorded during the task and reward phases.
- The research also explored how prior knowledge influences decisions, confirming neuroscientists' hypotheses.
- The project is compared to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey in astronomy, aiming to revolutionize neuroscience through large-scale collaboration.
- The International Brain Laboratory, behind this research, hopes to inspire more large-scale neuroscience collaborations.