Topic: sensorimotor association learning

Decisions are driven by diverse needs and drives, with motivational states influencing their relative contribution to behavior as well as shaping the learning and expression of decision-relevant knowledge. We sought to combine experimental observations and theoretical modelling to elucidate how motivational states influence sensory processing and perceptual decision-making. In a two-whisker discrimination task performed by water-restricted mice, we observed that thirst-induced motivation significantly impacts task performance and modulates cortical sensory representations in the somatosensory