To swim or not to swim: A population-level model of Xenopus tadpole decision making and locomotor behaviour.

We present a detailed computational model of interacting neuronal populations that mimic the hatchling Xenopus tadpole nervous system. The model includes four sensory pathways, integrators of sensory information, and a central pattern generator (CPG) network. Sensory pathways of different modalities receive inputs from an "environment"; these inputs are then processed and integrated to select the most appropriate locomotor action.

How neurons generate behavior in a hatchling amphibian tadpole: an outline.

Adult nervous systems are so complex that understanding how they produce behavior remains a real challenge. We chose to study hatchling Xenopus tadpoles where behavior is controlled by a few thousand neurons but there is a very limited number of types of neuron. Young tadpoles can flex, swim away, adjust their trajectory, speed-up and slow-down, stop when they contact support and struggle when grasped.