MOUSE MOTOR CORTEX REFLECTS MOVEMENT, ERROR AND EXPECTATION OF SELF-GENERATED SOUNDS

Many sensations we perceive are caused by our own actions, which we distinguish from externally generated stimuli. In the auditory system, the ability to differentiate between external and self-generated sounds is crucial for vocal communication, musical training, and general auditory perception. The auditory system leverages the tight correlation between movements and the timing of incoming sensory information to discern whether a sound is self-generated, and through experience, animals form expectations for the sensory consequences of their movements. The secondary motor cortex (M2) sends movement-related signals to auditory cortex and is a potential source for establishing specific associations between sounds and their corresponding movements, yet it remains unknown how M2 activity changes with experience as mice learn and update auditory-motor expectations. Using two-photon calcium imaging in awake behaving mice, we find a subset of M2 cells sensitive to deviations from the expected sensory outcomes of movements. Further analyses aim to uncover the extent to which M2 neuronal ensembles represent changing sensory-motor associations as animals form new expectations over time.