Topic: mesoscale widefield calcium imaging

Stochastic strategies are often advantageous in competitive environments to prevent opponents from predicting one’s actions. To study how stochastic behaviours arise, we trained head-fixed mice to play a zero-sum game, Matching Pennies, in which the optimal behaviour against a rational agent is to choose between actions with equal probability. On each trial, mice chose between two available actions: lick left or right. A computer opponent predicted each animal’s upcoming choice by searching for statistical regularities in their choice and reward history. If mice remained unpredictable against

Recent evidence suggests that the cerebellar hemispheres are in a unique position to contribute to motor planning via cortico-cerebellar loops. However, it is unknown how the dynamics of preparatory activity relate to the functional parcellation of the cerebellar cortex. We used mesoscale widefield calcium imaging to study molecular layer interneuron and Purkinje cell dendritic Ca2+ activity in Simplex, Crus I and Crus II during a targeted lick-interception task. We identified independent spatial sources of Ca2+ activity in interneurons and Purkinje cell dendrites using non-negative matrix fac