First Whole-Brain Map of Decision-Making in Mammals Achieved

The International Brain Laboratory (IBL) has created the first whole-brain map of decision-making in mammals, a groundbreaking achievement in neuroscience. Researchers trained mice to manipulate a virtual steering wheel to move shapes on a screen, simultaneously recording the activity of over 600,000 neurons across 279 brain regions in 139 mice. The results reveal that decision-making is not confined to specific brain regions, but is distributed throughout the entire brain, including areas previously thought to be solely involved in movement. This research provides a valuable data resource for understanding the brain's complex workings and demonstrates the potential of large-scale international collaborations in neuroscience.