Cholinergic signaling

…(nAChRs) in the habenula, perturbing cholinergic signaling. The evolutionary conserved habenula contains the largest density of nAChRs and is known as the aversive brain due to its role in mediating stress, fear and anxiety. Our research aims to understand how cholinergic signaling modulates the activity and function of the habenula. For this aim, we have generated zebra

Making optimal decisions in a noisy and ever-changing world is difficult. To do this, we must continuously track the outcomes of our actions and the uncertainty associated with them over both long and short timescales. This allows identification of the underlying regularities in the world that can be used to guide behavior. But how neural circuits support the integration of experience is poorly understood. Neuromodulators are ideal candidates for tracking such variables as they can signal over multiple timescales from milliseconds to seconds. Specifically, acetylcholine has frequently been pro

Spontaneous and sensory-evoked cortical activity is highly state-dependent, promoting the functional flexibility of cortical circuits underlying perception and cognition. Using neural recordings in combination with behavioral state monitoring, we find that arousal and motor activity have complementary roles in regulating local cortical operations, providing dynamic control of sensory encoding. These changes in encoding are linked to altered performance on perceptual tasks. Neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, may regulate this state-dependent flexibility of cortical network function. We

Spontaneous and sensory-evoked cortical activity is highly state-dependent, promoting the functional flexibility of cortical circuits underlying perception and cognition. Using neural recordings in combination with behavioral state monitoring, we find that arousal and motor activity have complementary roles in regulating local cortical operations, providing dynamic control of sensory encoding. These changes in encoding are linked to altered performance on perceptual tasks. Neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, may regulate this state-dependent flexibility of cortical network function. We the

Spontaneous and sensory-evoked cortical activity is highly state-dependent, promoting the functional flexibility of cortical circuits underlying perception and cognition. Using neural recordings in combination with behavioral state monitoring, we find that arousal and motor activity have complementary roles in regulating local cortical operations, providing dynamic control of sensory encoding. These changes in encoding are linked to altered performance on perceptual tasks. Neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, may regulate this state-dependent flexibility of cortical network function. We the