<i>Caenorhabditis Elegans</i> Learning and Decision-Making in a Structured Environment is a Multisensory Behavior

Modelling learning in Caenorhabditis elegans chemosensory and locomotive circuitry for T‐maze navigation

“…However, this prediction is expected to be only partially corroborated by experimental data. Although a turning bias may be acquired during training, steering nematodes to follow a clockwise or counterclockwise biassed motion, C. elegans interaction with maze walls and floors provides mechanosensation‐perceived information important for learning (Gourgou et al, 2021). This is not accounted for in the model.…”

“…The model proposed here, which is based on biophysical principles, aims to explore a neuronal mechanism that could potentially mediate a recently reported learning behaviour (Gourgou et al, 2021) in an invertebrate experimental system. In this novel paradigm, young adult C. elegans learn to reach a target maze arm in an empty, testing maze, after successfully locating and tasting reward (food) in a training maze (Figure 1).…”

“…The main goal of the proposed model is to provide a simplified mathematical framework for the neuronal circuitry that steers C. elegans navigation and learning in a maze environment (Figure 1) (Gourgou et al, 2021).…”

“…Standard worm trackers are designed for use with open surface NGM plates, which offer high contrast and low noise and can track nematodes as they move on two‐dimensional surfaces. In the case of T‐mazes (Gourgou et al, 2021), most nematodes are moving along three dimensions, the background is non‐uniform due to the 3‐dimensional maze structure, recordings are often noisy due to camera refocusing, and in some frames, the worm in study is momentarily undetectable, moving along wall‐floor edges.…”

“…(c) % of scored worms in Control and Training/Testing experiments. Number of scored worms: n control = 70, n Training = 874, n Testing = 239, p values of binomial probability test provided above bars (see Gourgou et al, 2021, Figures 1 and S2)…”