Neuronal Substrate of Choice in the Rat Whisker System

人类和其他动物可以通过将刺激或行动与随后的积极和消极回报联系起来，来优化他们的目标导向行为。动物如何产生这种联想，并在自然环境中做出决定？在自然环境中，这种联想往往是不确定的，有时是相互矛盾的，并且不断变化。该项目使用大鼠胡须系统作为动物模型，以确定知觉决策的神经元基础和环境的作用。

Humans and other animals can optimise their goal-directed behaviour by linking stimuli or actions to consequent positive and negative rewards. How does an animal generate such associations, and make decisions in the natural environment where the associations are often uncertain, at times contradictory, and continuously changing? This project uses rat whisker system as an animal model to identify the neuronal basis of perceptual decision making and the role of context.