title: Waking State: Rapid Variations Modulate Neural and Behavioral Responses.
abstract: The state of the brain and body constantly varies on rapid and slow timescales. These variations contribute to the apparent noisiness of sensory responses at both the neural and the behavioral level. Recent investigations of rapid state changes in awake, behaving animals have provided insight into the mechanisms by which optimal sensory encoding and behavioral performance are achieved. Fluctuations in state, as indexed by pupillometry, impact both the "signal" (sensory evoked response) and the "noise" (spontaneous activity) of cortical responses. By taking these fluctuations into account, neural response (co)variability is significantly reduced, revealing the brain to be more reliable and predictable than previously thought.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McGinley
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinck
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reimer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Batista-Brito
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zagha
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Cathryn R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Cadwell
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: atolias@cns.bcm.edu.
authors.forename: Andreas S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Tolias
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. Electronic address: jess.cardin@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cardin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. Electronic address: david.mccormick@yale.edu.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: McCormick
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*