A touch-guided neural circuit for dental alignment and motivated oral behavior

Abstract

A central challenge in systems neuroscience is understanding how neural circuits generate coordinated, multi-muscle motor output. Facial movements provide a powerful model because dozens of small muscles generate high-dimensional yet structured and rapid movements under the control of compact brainstem circuits. At the same time, the same set of muscles supports multiple ethologically relevant behaviors, offering a rare window into how circuits flexibly repurpose a single motor apparatus. Yet how neuromuscular organization shapes the space of possible movements and how circuits exploit this structure remains largely unexplored. 

We combine quantitative behavioral analysis, anatomy, and physiology to dissect the circuit logic of facial motor control in mice. Using Cheese3D, a calibrated six-camera 3D tracking system, we capture whole-face kinematics with high temporal and spatial resolution. We will present new results revealing the geometric structure of facial movement and its neuromuscular basis, uncovering the space of facial patterns constrained by neuromuscular organization. 

We further use this framework to systematically map facial motor programs across sensory- driven behaviors. These experiments uncover structured variation across conditions that is conserved across individuals. Together, this work establishes facial motor control as a tractable system for uncovering general principles of sensorimotor transformation.