Neural circuits underlying flexible behavior
To survive in dynamic environments, the nervous system must be able to generate flexible behavior — seamlessly weaving together past experience with the present context to achieve future goals. We investigate how changes in behavioral or internal state, context, and expectations affect sensory processing and decision-making. These context-dependent behaviors operate through a flexible coupling and decoupling of neural circuits. Arousal, attention, task engagement, uninstructed movements constantly vary and are associated with ongoing and large changes in the activity of neuromodulatory systems as well as intracortical feedback pathways whose role is to specifically modulate neural network interactions. Through identifiable and precise mechanisms, these pathways control the patterns of activity generated by the neocortex, flexibly increasing or decreasing the information flow between specific neuronal networks. By understanding how the cortex flexibly reconfigures its functional interactions to produce contextually-appropriate behavior, and how arousal and engagement modulate this flexibility, we will provide insight into a broad range of human disorders, from those of attention and perception, to social interactions.
Metastable attractors explain the variable timing of stable behavioral action sequences
S. Recanatesi*, U. Pereira*, M. Murakami, Z. Mainen*, L. Mazzucato*.
2022, Neuron 110, 1–15. Open Access link.
[code] [biorxiv]
Neural mechanisms underlying the temporal organization of naturalistic animal behavior
L. Mazzucato
[arXiv]
State-dependent control of cortical processing speed via gain modulation
David Wyrick, L. Mazzucato.
Journal of Neuroscience 41 (18), 3988-4005. [pdf]
[biorxiv][simulation code][data analysis code]
Cortical computations via metastable activity
G. La Camera, A. Fontanini, L. Mazzucato.
Current Opinion in Neurobiology 58, 37-45, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2019.06.007
[article] [arxiv] [pdf]
Expectation-induced modulation of metastable activity underlies faster coding of sensory stimuli
L. Mazzucato, G. La Camera*, A. Fontanini*.
Nature Neuroscience 2019, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0364-9
[article] [biorxiv] [code] [pdf] [suppl]
Stimuli reduce the dimensionality of cortical activity
L. Mazzucato, A. Fontanini, G. La Camera
Front. in Syst. Neuro. 2016; 10:11. doi:0.3389/fnsys.2016.00011.
[arxiv:1509.03621] - [download pdf]
Dynamics of multistable states during ongoing and evoked cortical activity
L. Mazzucato, A. Fontanini*, G. La Camera*
J Neurosci. 2015 Nov 27;33(48):18966-78. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4819-14.2015.
[arXiv:1508.00165] - [download pdf]
Processing of hedonic and chemosensory features of taste in medial prefrontal and insular networks
A. Jezzini*, L. Mazzucato*, G. La Camera, A. Fontanini
J Neurosci. 2013 Nov 27;33(48):18966-78. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2974-13.2013.
[download pdf]
S. Recanatesi*, U. Pereira*, M. Murakami, Z. Mainen*, L. Mazzucato*.
2022, Neuron 110, 1–15. Open Access link.
[code] [biorxiv]
Neural mechanisms underlying the temporal organization of naturalistic animal behavior
L. Mazzucato
[arXiv]
State-dependent control of cortical processing speed via gain modulation
David Wyrick, L. Mazzucato.
Journal of Neuroscience 41 (18), 3988-4005. [pdf]
[biorxiv][simulation code][data analysis code]
Cortical computations via metastable activity
G. La Camera, A. Fontanini, L. Mazzucato.
Current Opinion in Neurobiology 58, 37-45, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2019.06.007
[article] [arxiv] [pdf]
Expectation-induced modulation of metastable activity underlies faster coding of sensory stimuli
L. Mazzucato, G. La Camera*, A. Fontanini*.
Nature Neuroscience 2019, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0364-9
[article] [biorxiv] [code] [pdf] [suppl]
Stimuli reduce the dimensionality of cortical activity
L. Mazzucato, A. Fontanini, G. La Camera
Front. in Syst. Neuro. 2016; 10:11. doi:0.3389/fnsys.2016.00011.
[arxiv:1509.03621] - [download pdf]
Dynamics of multistable states during ongoing and evoked cortical activity
L. Mazzucato, A. Fontanini*, G. La Camera*
J Neurosci. 2015 Nov 27;33(48):18966-78. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4819-14.2015.
[arXiv:1508.00165] - [download pdf]
Processing of hedonic and chemosensory features of taste in medial prefrontal and insular networks
A. Jezzini*, L. Mazzucato*, G. La Camera, A. Fontanini
J Neurosci. 2013 Nov 27;33(48):18966-78. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2974-13.2013.
[download pdf]