Topic: channelrhodopsin-2

To make decisions in a dynamic world, animals adjust their behavior in response to environmental feedback. To understand how this flexibility is achieved, we seek to understand how the nervous system learns from choice outcomes. Theories proposed that norepinephrine (NE) neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) modulate learning from reinforcement. We tested this hypothesis by measuring activity from identified mouse LC-NE neurons during a behavioral task requiring ongoing learning from reward prediction errors (RPE). Mice were trained to make choices to lick leftward or rightward for reward with c

Understanding the neural circuitry involved in fear memory is expected to provide implications for mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are essential for the consolidation of fear memories. This consolidation occurs in particular when BLA neurons responding to aversive stimuli are reactivated during non-REM sleep. However, the neural circuit mechanism during non-REM sleep remains unclear. We focus on the role of neocortical slow waves, a hallmark of non-REM sleep, in fear memory formation. By recording l

Neuronal oscillations are a prominent feature of motor cortical local field potentials (LFPs) and abnormalities in oscillatory activity have been linked to several disorders. Theta-modulated gamma-frequency pulses of alternating current stimulation modulate motor learning in humans, however, it is unclear how these frequencies modulate motor cortical activity at the cellular microcircuit level. Here, we aimed to develop a method of bidirectionally modulating theta and gamma coupled oscillations in the motor cortex using closed-loop optogenetic stimulation of excitatory RBP4-Cre (retinol-bindin

In the dentate gyrus (DG), granule cells (GCs) and local interneurons transform dense cortical neuron ensemble theta/gamma band activity into sparse DG output to generate contextual representations. GABAB receptor-mediated inhibition contributes to sparse DG activity, but it is unclear how it contributes to frequency-dependent synaptic integration and spike output. We recorded perforant-path excitatory postsynaptic potentials from GCs in ventral horizontal slices from adult male and female mice and found GABAB-receptor dependent inhibition of action potential firing during gamma frequency trai

The classical model of basal ganglia (BG) network emphasizes a functional organization centered around the striatum and subthalamic nucleus as the main receiving areas of excitatory cortical inputs. However, recent anatomical studies revealed direct input projections from the cortex to the external globus pallidus (GPe) in many species including humans, suggesting that GPe also provides an entry for cortical information to the BG. When and how top-down cortical control of GPe takes place to support motor and cognitive functions remain an open question. Using an optogenetic approach, we first e

As the human population ages the case of brain degenerative diseases will rise. The current treatment has a momentary effect and lacks an investigative system that is functionally applicable for testing. Though an optogenetic model and in vitro disease require a three-dimensional microenvironment, there is evidence that optogenetic stimulation is a viable approach. Differentiated SHSY-5Y cells were encapsulated in a 3D hydrogel (Gelatin Methacrylate) matrix in a multiplex system to examine the effects of optogenetic stimulation on neural development. SHSY-5Y cells are a human neuroblastoma ce

Conventional approaches to behavioral correction, aimed at curbing addictive behaviors, often involve methods like electric shocks, which, while effective, pose a risk of harm due to induced nociceptive pain. Recent findings show that calcitonin gene-related peptide in the parabrachial nucleus (CGRPPBN) provides affective pain signals and generates general alarm signals. Here we investigated whether stimulating CGRPPBN neurons could replicate the behavioral correction effects of electrical shock, thereby suppressing addictive behavior without causing physical harm. Using Calca-Cre::DAT-Cre mic