Age-related changes in behavioural and neural variability in a decision-making task
Nature Communications, vol. 17
Abstract
Age-related cognitive decline in learning and decision-making may arise from increased variability of neural responses. Here, we investigated how ageing affects behavioural and neural variability by recording >18,000 neurons across 16 brain regions (including cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, midbrain, and basal ganglia) in younger and older mice performing a visual decision-making task. Older mice showed more variable response times, reproducing a common finding in human ageing studies. Ageing globally increased firing rates and post-stimulus neural variability (quantified using the Fano factor), and decreased variability quenching-the reduction in neural variability upon stimulus presentation. Older animals showed higher overall firing rates across areas of visual and motor cortex, striatum, midbrain, and hippocampus, but lower firing rates in thalamic areas. Age-related attenuation in stimulus-induced variability quenching was most prominent in visual and motor cortex, striatum, and thalamic area. These findings show how large-scale neural recordings can help uncover regional specificity of ageing effects in single neurons, ultimately improving our understanding of the neural basis of age-related cognitive decline.
Authors 100
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Fenying Zang corresponding Aachen Cognitive Psychology Unit Institute of Psychology, Leiden University
Affiliation as printed
Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. f.zang@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
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University of California, Los Angeles · Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
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Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute · Columbia University
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Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Department of Basic Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
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Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit · University College London
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Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, London, UK
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Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit · University College London
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Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, London, UK
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Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology · University College London
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Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute · Columbia University
Affiliation as printed
Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology · University College London
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Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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ISPA - Instituto Universitário · William James Center for Research
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William James Center for Research (WJCR), ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
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Affiliation as printed
Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute · Columbia University
Affiliation as printed
Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
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Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute · Columbia University
Affiliation as printed
Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Sainsbury Wellcome Centre · University College London
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Sainsbury-Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
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Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
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Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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Department of Basic Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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University of California, Berkeley
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Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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University of California, Los Angeles
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Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
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Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
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École Normale Supérieure - PSL
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Département D’études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
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Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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Affiliation as printed
Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute · Columbia University
Affiliation as printed
Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Basic Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Affiliation as printed
Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Basic Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Sainsbury Wellcome Centre · University College London
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Sainsbury-Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
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École Normale Supérieure - PSL
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Département D’études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
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Affiliation as printed
Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology · University College London
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Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Wolfson Institute of Biomedical Research, University College London, London, UK
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Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, London, UK
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Sainsbury Wellcome Centre · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Sainsbury-Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
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University of California, Berkeley
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Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Basic Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
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Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute · Columbia University
Affiliation as printed
Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
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Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, London, UK
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UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute · Columbia University
Affiliation as printed
Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, London, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Wolfson Institute of Biomedical Research, University College London, London, UK
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Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute · Columbia University
Affiliation as printed
Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Affiliation as printed
Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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Affiliation as printed
Wolfson Institute of Biomedical Research, University College London, London, UK
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Sainsbury Wellcome Centre · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Sainsbury-Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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University of California, Los Angeles
Affiliation as printed
Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Sainsbury Wellcome Centre · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Sainsbury-Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
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Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute · Columbia University
Affiliation as printed
Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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Sainsbury Wellcome Centre · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Sainsbury-Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
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Department of Physiology, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan
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Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute · Columbia University
Affiliation as printed
Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Wolfson Institute of Biomedical Research, University College London, London, UK
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Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, London, UK
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UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Basic Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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Affiliation as printed
Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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Affiliation as printed
Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute · Columbia University
Affiliation as printed
Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Affiliation as printed
Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisboa, Portugal
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