# Locomotion-induced neural activity independent of auditory feedback in the mouse inferior colliculus

## TL;DR

This study shows that movement-related signals, not sound, can influence brain activity in mice during walking.

## Contribution

The study isolates non-auditory movement signals in the inferior colliculus by eliminating auditory feedback in deafened mice.

## Key findings

- IC neurons show bidirectional modulation during locomotion without auditory input.
- Neural activity can begin before movement onset, suggesting predictive and feedback components.

## Abstract

Accumulating evidence indicates that the auditory system integrates movement-related signals with sensory input, yet the mechanisms across processing levels remain incompletely understood. The inferior colliculus (IC), a major midbrain integration center, exhibits locomotion-related neural activity, indicating that midbrain auditory neurons are sensitive to ongoing movement. However, their high sensitivity to sound makes it difficult to distinguish auditory feedback from other motor-related signals. To isolate non-auditory contributions, we recorded IC neural activity in deafened, head-fixed mice walking on a passive treadmill, eliminating auditory feedback through both air and bone conduction. Even in the absence of auditory input, IC neurons showed robust, bidirectional modulation during locomotion. Modulation often began before movement onset, even when aligned to electromyographic rather than treadmill signals, indicating both predictive and feedback components. These results demonstrate that non-auditory, movement-related signals significantly shape neural activity at the midbrain level, potentially supporting rapid, adaptive behavioral responses to sounds during locomotion.

•Non-auditory locomotion-induced IC activity was isolated by eliminating auditory feedback•IC neurons are bidirectionally modulated during locomotion in the absence of auditory feedback•Neural modulation can precede movement onset, indicating both predictive and feedback signals

Non-auditory locomotion-induced IC activity was isolated by eliminating auditory feedback

IC neurons are bidirectionally modulated during locomotion in the absence of auditory feedback

Neural modulation can precede movement onset, indicating both predictive and feedback signals

Behavioral neuroscience; systems biology