Motor behaviors

The ability to learn and perform goal-directed, motor actions is essential for adaptive behavior and survival. Efforts to dissect motor function suggest dissociable roles for basal ganglia and cerebellum. The current consensus view is that the former reinforces goal-directed actions while the latter refines actions using error signals. Each circuit has been thoroughly studied, yet an understanding of how reward-related signals dynamically modulate the contributions of these circuits is lacking.

We aim to characterize brain-wide neural signatures and dynamics by combining a multimodal approach; brain-wide fMRI, and extracellular recordings with Neuropixels probes during the learning process of an MRI-compatible motor paradigm using forepaw manipulation of an isometric joystick. This project is led by Dr. Xenia Gofman. Other experiments aim to characterize locomotion (Dr. Guy Yona) as well as lick (Amir Lawen) and reach movements (Dr. Jad Asleh). Research program in collaboration with James Ingram, Nate Sawtell, Tanya Tabachnik, Ines Vaz, and Daniel Wolpert.

Group Members: Jad Asleh, Xenia Gofman, Amir Lawen and Guy Yona