Goal-directed actions and habits in head-fixed mice

These results establish a paradigm for studying both goal-directed actions and habits in head-fixed mice and validate the DLS as a key neuronal substrate as previously demonstrated in freely moving models. This paradigm represents a vital methodological advancement that overcomes the technical barriers to longitudinal, cellular-level interrogation. By providing the optical stability necessary to track the same neuronal ensembles across acquisition and expression of habits, this platform enables investigations into the computational neural dynamics underlying goal-directed and habitual behaviors.