Decoding Effect of Sleep Cells in Mice Spatial Learning: A Combined Analysis of Behavioral and Neuro

Full title: Decoding Effect of Sleep Cells in Mice Spatial Learning: A Combined Analysis of Behavioral and Neuron Activities We aim to study predictive pursuit in mice using an experimental paradigm that closely mirrors the natural predator-prey scenarios they may encounter in the wild. By creating a controlled environment that associates target pursuit behavior with reward, we hope to reveal how mice form an internal model that supports prediction during pursuit and how the model is reactivated and refined during sleep. Specifically, our project asks whether mice can encode a familiar target trajectory using egocentric (self-centered) coordinate systems, and how sleep-related neural activity contributes to updating these predictive representations. Sleep is well known for its critical role in episodic memory consolidation, yet how it supports the prediction of future target motion during pursuit remains poorly understood.