Topic: exploratory behavior

Exploration is an essential part of learning, and the question of how to achieve efficient exploration has been extensively studied in the field of Reinforcement Learning (RL). Recent works have demonstrated -- both in theory and in practice -- the importance and effectiveness of sophisticated methods of exploration which are sensitive to the long-term exploratory consequences of actions, and to the global structures of the environment. This is analogous to the standard concept of value in RL. How "good" an action is depends not only on the immediate reward gained by taking it, but also on the

Early life stress (ELS) due to neglect or abuse, has profound and lasting effects on adult neural function, contributing to various psychopathologies. Utilizing the well-established model of early life maternal separation (ELMS), this study investigated the impact of ELS on adult behavior. For the maternally separated (MS+) group, pups were separated from their mother for 3 hours from postnatal day 1 to 14, while control (stress naive) group pups remained in their home cages. Behavioral assessments from week 8-10 (young adults) revealed significant differences between MS+ and control mice. Bot

Hypothalamic agouti-related peptide (AgRP)-expressing neurons are exclusively located in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and form the basis of the melanocortin system, a set of CNS circuits regulating energy homeostasis. Besides an important role in driving food intake, AgRP neurons are also involved in modulating complex, non-feeding behaviors. However, it is unknown how AgRP-dependent feeding influences general exploratory behavior. Using the AgRPDTR mouse model with impaired AgRP neuronal functions, we show here that perturbation of AgRP neuronal function leads to sex-dependent body

Most animals are born with a minimal repertoire of behaviors, which is gradually expanded as they grow and adapt to their changing needs, environments, and body morphology. The emergence of new functional capacities is associated with changes in the brain architecture, as new neurons become functional and new connections are formed. How brain maturation orchestrates phenotypic transformations during development is still an open question in behavioral neuroscience. Here, we investigate this question in Danionella cerebrum, a novel vertebrate model whose brain remains small and transparent up to

We investigated the potentially positive neurodevelopmental and enduring effects of neonatal handling (NH) on specific behavioral processes and gene expression in the prefrontal cortex of RHA versus RLA rats. Additionally, we explored associations between gene expression and behavioral responses. Male rats from both the RLA and RHA strains received NH or were left untreated (controls). Two different age groups were considered: adolescent and adults. The assessment encompassed exploratory behavior, social behavior, sensorimotor gating (PPI), and the analysis of gene expression associated with s