Hippocampal place cell sequences differ during correct and error trials in a spatial memory task

• Published in: Nature communications 2021-06, Vol.12 (1), p.3373-3373, Article 3373
• Main Authors: Zheng, Chenguang, Hwaun, Ernie, Loza, Carlos A., Colgin, Laura Lee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/378/1595/1554; 631/378/1595/3922; 64/86; 9/30; Algorithms; Animal behavior; Animals; Bayes Theorem; Bias; Coordination; Error correction; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - cytology; Hippocampus - physiology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Learning; Learning - physiology; Male; Memory tasks; Mental task performance; multidisciplinary; Place Cells - physiology; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Rats; Rats, Long-Evans; Reinforcement; Reward; Ripples; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Spatial analysis; Spatial memory; Spatial Memory - physiology; Theta Rhythm - physiology; Theta rhythms
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23765-x

Theta rhythms temporally coordinate sequences of hippocampal place cell ensembles during active behaviors, while sharp wave-ripples coordinate place cell sequences during rest. We investigated whether such coordination of hippocampal place cell sequences is disrupted during error trials in a delayed match-to-place task. As a reward location was learned across trials, place cell sequences developed that represented temporally compressed paths to the reward location during the approach to the reward location. Less compressed paths were represented on error trials as an incorrect stop location was approached. During rest periods of correct but not error trials, place cell sequences developed a bias to replay representations of paths ending at the correct reward location. These results support the hypothesis that coordination of place cell sequences by theta rhythms and sharp wave-ripples develops as a reward location is learned and may be important for the successful performance of a spatial memory task. Here the authors compare place cell sequence coding during correct and error trials in a spatial memory task. Sequences coded paths that were longer and more temporally compressed during correct trials and developed a bias to replay paths to a goal location during rest periods of correct but not error trials.