From decision to action: Detailed modelling of frog tadpoles reveals neuronal mechanisms of decision-making and reproduces unpredictable swimming movements in response to sensory signals.
PLoS Comput Biol
; 17(12): e1009654, 2021 12.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34898604
ABSTRACT
How does the brain process sensory stimuli, and decide whether to initiate locomotor behaviour? To investigate this question we develop two whole body computer models of a tadpole. The "Central Nervous System" (CNS) model uses evidence from whole-cell recording to define 2300 neurons in 12 classes to study how sensory signals from the skin initiate and stop swimming. In response to skin stimulation, it generates realistic sensory pathway spiking and shows how hindbrain sensory memory populations on each side can compete to initiate reticulospinal neuron firing and start swimming. The 3-D "Virtual Tadpole" (VT) biomechanical model with realistic muscle innervation, body flexion, body-water interaction, and movement is then used to evaluate if motor nerve outputs from the CNS model can produce swimming-like movements in a volume of "water". We find that the whole tadpole VT model generates reliable and realistic swimming. Combining these two models opens new perspectives for experiments.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Anura
/
Swimming
/
Decision Making
/
Larva
/
Models, Neurological
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
PLoS Comput Biol
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
/
INFORMATICA MEDICA
Year:
2021
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United kingdom