Recent approaches to study the neural bases of complex insect behavior

Recent advances in biocompatible materials, miniaturized instrumentation, advanced computational algorithms, and genetic tools have enabled the development of novel methods and approaches to quantify the behavior of individuals or groups of animals. In conjunction with technologies that allow simultaneous monitoring of neural responses, quantitative studies of complex behaviors can reveal tighter links between the external sensory cues in the vicinity of the organism and neural responses they elicit, and how internal neural representations finally get mapped onto the behavior generated. In this review, we examine a few approaches that are beginning to be widely exploited for understanding neural-behavioral response transformations.

Automated summary

Recent progress in biocompatible materials, miniaturized instrumentation, advanced computational algorithms, and genetic tools has facilitated the development of new methods to quantify animal behavior at both individual and group levels. Concurrent advancements in technologies allowing simultaneous monitoring of neural responses enable quantitative studies of complex behaviors to reveal the relationship between external sensory cues and neural responses, as well as how neural representations influence behavior generation.