Full-field sound localization task and example neural responses. Top left: Fournier map projection of a complete 24-speaker array with speakers from the next two panels highlighted. Top right: Speaker layout for one of the four behavioral conditions. The background location was 45° off the midline, and the target locations were the most lateral positions (±90°; same in all conditions), and also 45° above and below the horizon, but in the same azimuthal quadrant as the background location. Speakers were positioned 1 m from the center of the chamber, which had internal dimensions of 2 × 2 × 2 m. Bottom left: After a variable number of background stimuli, targets alternated with the background stimuli. If a lick was registered within the preset number of alternations, a food reward was given. Bottom right: Passive spatial RF of an example unit in one animal (M9X-74). Speaker locations, including target and background locations of the discrimination task configuration in the top left panel, were overlaid on the RF.
This study in marmosets by @1marmoset.bsky.social &co shows that task engagement facilitates #auditory neuronal responses both within & beyond their receptive fields, reallocating limited #neural resources to the most informative locations @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4sOqjds
