Context flexibly modulates cue representations in visual cortex
Abstract Learned sensory cues result in enhanced responses in sensory cortices and, in turn, enhanced responses draw attention towards cues in our environment that guide future decision making. To respond appropriately, one must recognize the cue but also the context. Here we use two-photon imaging...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61314-y |
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| _version_ | 1849334464675577856 |
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| author | Alexa D. Faulkner Alvin S. Chiu Armin Sarabi Swathi Karthik Yaoxin S. Li Christian R. Burgess |
| author_facet | Alexa D. Faulkner Alvin S. Chiu Armin Sarabi Swathi Karthik Yaoxin S. Li Christian R. Burgess |
| author_sort | Alexa D. Faulkner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Learned sensory cues result in enhanced responses in sensory cortices and, in turn, enhanced responses draw attention towards cues in our environment that guide future decision making. To respond appropriately, one must recognize the cue but also the context. Here we use two-photon imaging in visual cortex as mice learn a visual discrimination task and subsequently experience a change in external context through introduction of a threat stimulus. Stimuli associated with a reward elicit an enhanced response due to newly recruited neurons responding preferentially to the rewarded cue in addition to neurons increasing their response magnitude. Introduction of threat results in a largely separate set of neurons encoding cues, but the maintenance of the enhanced response to a rewarded cue. When the threat is relieved, representations revert to their initial state. These data suggest that external context changes can result in rapid but flexible shifts in the representation of visual cues. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6fbcd1f74c684099ad2566b80afe4fbc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-6fbcd1f74c684099ad2566b80afe4fbc2025-08-20T03:45:33ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111510.1038/s41467-025-61314-yContext flexibly modulates cue representations in visual cortexAlexa D. Faulkner0Alvin S. Chiu1Armin Sarabi2Swathi Karthik3Yaoxin S. Li4Christian R. Burgess5Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of MichiganMichigan Neuroscience Institute, University of MichiganDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of MichiganMichigan Neuroscience Institute, University of MichiganMichigan Neuroscience Institute, University of MichiganMichigan Neuroscience Institute, University of MichiganAbstract Learned sensory cues result in enhanced responses in sensory cortices and, in turn, enhanced responses draw attention towards cues in our environment that guide future decision making. To respond appropriately, one must recognize the cue but also the context. Here we use two-photon imaging in visual cortex as mice learn a visual discrimination task and subsequently experience a change in external context through introduction of a threat stimulus. Stimuli associated with a reward elicit an enhanced response due to newly recruited neurons responding preferentially to the rewarded cue in addition to neurons increasing their response magnitude. Introduction of threat results in a largely separate set of neurons encoding cues, but the maintenance of the enhanced response to a rewarded cue. When the threat is relieved, representations revert to their initial state. These data suggest that external context changes can result in rapid but flexible shifts in the representation of visual cues.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61314-y |
| spellingShingle | Alexa D. Faulkner Alvin S. Chiu Armin Sarabi Swathi Karthik Yaoxin S. Li Christian R. Burgess Context flexibly modulates cue representations in visual cortex Nature Communications |
| title | Context flexibly modulates cue representations in visual cortex |
| title_full | Context flexibly modulates cue representations in visual cortex |
| title_fullStr | Context flexibly modulates cue representations in visual cortex |
| title_full_unstemmed | Context flexibly modulates cue representations in visual cortex |
| title_short | Context flexibly modulates cue representations in visual cortex |
| title_sort | context flexibly modulates cue representations in visual cortex |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61314-y |
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