Multiple sources contribute to predictive tactile attenuation in the mouse whisker system
- 1Systems Neurophysiology, Werner Reichardt Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- 2Systems Neurophysiology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- 3Graduate Training Center for Neuroscience, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
Abstract
The brain predicts action outcomes using interacting neuronal systems that integrate sensory feedback, movement, and rewards. In the mouse whisker system, we investigated whether two presumed predictive mechanisms jointly attenuate ascending tactile signals during movement. To this end, we employed an open-loop whisker-reach task that monitored facial nucleus motor activity and presented experimental tactile consequences while measuring tactile attenuation in the barrel cortex. Experimentally manipulating sensory consequences revealed two distinct systems. Sensory gating, a previously documented but functionally unclear mechanism of tactile attenuation, appeared graded but persisted during and after movement. In contrast, a second system was found to be temporally precise, generate suppression when stimuli are omitted, and capable of being learned within hundreds of trials. We label it state estimation as its characteristics—active suppression of expected tactile input—aligns well with the classical reafference principle, previously overlooked in the whisker system.
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BibTeX
@article{gupta2026multiple,
title = {{Multiple sources contribute to predictive tactile attenuation in the mouse whisker system}},
author = {Kalpana Gupta and Shubhodeep Chakrabarti and Cornelius Schwarz},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1073/pnas.2617276123},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2617276123},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Multiple sources contribute to predictive tactile attenuation in the mouse whisker system
AU - Kalpana Gupta
AU - Shubhodeep Chakrabarti
AU - Cornelius Schwarz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
DO - 10.1073/pnas.2617276123
UR - https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2617276123
AB - The brain predicts action outcomes using interacting neuronal systems that integrate sensory feedback, movement, and rewards. In the mouse whisker system, we investigated whether two presumed predictive mechanisms jointly attenuate ascending tactile signals during movement. To this end, we employed an open-loop whisker-reach task that monitored facial nucleus motor activity and presented experimental tactile consequences while measuring tactile attenuation in the barrel cortex. Experimentally manipulating sensory consequences revealed two distinct systems. Sensory gating, a previously documented but functionally unclear mechanism of tactile attenuation, appeared graded but persisted during and after movement. In contrast, a second system was found to be temporally precise, generate suppression when stimuli are omitted, and capable of being learned within hundreds of trials. We label it state estimation as its characteristics—active suppression of expected tactile input—aligns well with the classical reafference principle, previously overlooked in the whisker system.
SN - 0027-8424
SN - 1091-6490
ER -