Topic: contextual cues

Optimal motor performance requires flexible adjustments to behavior depending on different contexts. This idea has gained wide support from behavioral and computational studies, but remains poorly understood at the neural level. Bengalese finch (Lonchura striata) song is a learned motor sequence composed of discrete elements, or syllables. Adult finches can learn to modify the pitch of individual syllables in a gradual way, supported by a well-understood cortical-basal ganglia circuit, the AFP (anterior forebrain pathway). We here tested whether adult finches can use arbitrary contextual cues

Navigation based on the formation, storage, and retrieval of spatial information is crucial for the survival of many species. We use a modification of a fully automated T-maze task for mice requiring flexible processing of visual information about the external environment. In our experimental design mice are presented with extra maze visual cues of different levels of complexity - general contexts and salient landmarks. They are conditioned to navigate based on the visual cues, acting against the spontaneous tendency to alternate. The animals are presented with pseudo-random sequences of turns