Adaptation of sequential action benefits from timing variability related to lateral basal ganglia circuitry

• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109274
• Publication Date: 2024-02-20T07:53:37Z
• Authors: Lachlan A. Ferguson; Miriam Matamales; Christopher Nolan; Bernard W. Balleine; Jesus Bertran-Gon...
• Keywords: Basal (medicine)

Streamlined action sequences must remain flexible should stable contingencies in the environment change. By combining analyses of behavioral structure with a circuit-specific manipulation mice, we report on relationship between timing variability and successful adaptation that relates to post-synaptic targets primary motor cortical (M1) projections dorsolateral striatum (DLS). In two-lever instrumental task, mice formed by, first, establishing scaffolds and, second, smoothly extending duration adapt increased task requirements. Interruption DLS neurons M1 projection territories altered this process, evoking higher-rate actions were more stereotyped their timing, reducing opportunities for success. Based evidence from neuronal tracing experiments, propose supply facilitate adaptation, function may involve additional downstream subcortical processing relating collateralization descending pathways multiple basal ganglia centers.