title: Whole-brain activity maps reveal stereotyped, distributed networks for visuomotor behavior.
abstract: Most behaviors, even simple innate reflexes, are mediated by circuits of neurons spanning areas throughout the brain. However, in most cases, the distribution and dynamics of firing patterns of these neurons during behavior are not known. We imaged activity, with cellular resolution, throughout the whole brains of zebrafish performing the optokinetic response. We found a sparse, broadly distributed network that has an elaborate but ordered pattern, with a bilaterally symmetrical organization. Activity patterns fell into distinct clusters reflecting sensory and motor processing. By correlating neuronal responses with an array of sensory and motor variables, we find that the network can be clearly divided into distinct functional modules. Comparing aligned data from multiple fish, we find that the spatiotemporal activity dynamics and functional organization are highly stereotyped across individuals. These experiments systematically reveal the functional architecture of neural circuits underlying a sensorimotor behavior in a vertebrate brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Portugues
authors.affiliation: Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Avenida Brasília, Doca de Pedrouços, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal.
authors.forename: Claudia E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Feierstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Engert
authors.affiliation: Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Avenida Brasília, Doca de Pedrouços, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal. Electronic address: michael.orger@neuro.fchampalimaud.org.
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Orger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000502:physiology*