To determine whether differences in information encoding observed at the single neuron level were maintained at the population level, SS analyses were performed to quantify how neural activity patterns, captured via principle components, evolved throughout a trial. To quantify the evolution of neural trajectories, Euclidean distance to a corresponding time bin of a null trial was computed for drinking, non-drinking, and null trials (note: a given null trial was compared to all other null trials to compute distance). Euclidean distance was calculated from a multidimensional space that was defined by the first 3 principle components. Larger values of Euclidean distance correspond to larger differences in neural activity patterns, which indicate that the predominant patterns of neural firing were different for two comparisons (Fig. 5A). Videos 1, 2, 3, 4 for each comparison group are provided to illustrate the evolution of neural trajectories over time for each trial. During alcohol sessions, alcohol-associated cues elicited neural activity patterns that diverged before the availability of alcohol when drinking versus non-drinking trials were compared in Wistar (FDR-corrected rank-sum tests; p < 0.05; Fig. 5B),
