Auditory cortical coding of task-relevant variables during active listening

Abstract

Auditory-guided behaviors are ubiquitous in everyday life, whenever auditory information is used to guide our decisions and actions. The primary route for auditory information to propagate from the ACtx is through intratelencephalic (IT) and extratelencephalic (ET) neurons in layer (L) 5. To investigate the behavioral role of IT and ET neurons, we engaged mice in a head-fixed auditory categorization task and longitudinally monitored populations of L5 IT and ET neurons using two-photon calcium imaging. Clustering analyses of these populations revealed heterogenous response motifs that correlated with various stimulus and task variables, but with distinct expression patterns across learning and task proficiency. Our results suggest a tradeoff of information between two distinct populations within L5, with IT projections playing a role in initial task acquisition, while ET projections are recruited and reinforced throughout the learning process. This underscores the differential roles of distinct descending systems and contribute to our understanding of how auditory information is processed and utilized to guide decision-making and action.