Date of Completion

Spring 5-1-2026

Thesis Advisor(s)

Nicholas Audette

Honors Major

Physiology and Neurobiology

Abstract

Animals utilize predictive processing to improve the processing of sensory information by reducing neural responses to anticipated stimuli and increasing responses to unexpected ones. Prior studies use simple, single-prediction, head-fixed behavioral paradigms, leaving it unclear how the brain stores and processes multiple predictions. Animals must be taught sound generating behaviors to study multiple, simultaneous predictions; however, learning in head-fixed conditions is inefficient. Therefore, we developed a two-lever behavioral task with auditory feedback and exposed mice to the task in home cages prior to switching to head-fixed training. Behavioral analysis suggests that mice understand key components of the task during pre-training, as demonstrated by an increase in performance. Once in head-fixed training, animals with pre-training outperformed controls without pre-training indicating improved task learning. However, variable performance within sessions suggests periods of low task engagement during head-fixed training. Probe trials that introduce unexpected auditory outcomes reveal slight behavioral changes that suggest mice form sensory predictions during pre-training. These findings support the use of home cage pre-training to accelerate task acquisition in head-fixed conditions and contribute to the foundation of studying multiple motor-sensory predictions.

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