Topic: ChrimsonR

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by progressive dopaminergic depletion in the striatum leading to motor deficits that often manifest with asymmetry. In this study, we investigated the role of optogenetic activation of the direct pathway in its ability to reestablish motor function and regulate oscillatory activity in cortex-basal ganglia loops. Rats received a unilateral injection of 6-OHDA into the medial forebrain bundle, followed by the delivery of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) that specifically transduced Dopamine-1-Receptor-positive medium spiny neurons (DRD1-neurons). Using th

Manipulation and real-time monitoring of neuronal activity with cell-type specificity and precise spatiotemporal resolution are indispensable means to explore and expand our understanding of brain function in vivo. Simultaneous optogenetics and fiber photometry can unlock precisely that - the manipulation and measurement of neural activity and neurochemical release with high temporal resolution. Furthermore, in combination with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), locally controlled neuronal firing and its physiological effects can be readily linked to changes in global brain activity

Hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons receive excitatory inputs from both ipsi- and contralateral CA3 and CA2 regions. While synaptic plasticity at the intrahippocampal Schaffer collateral synapses has been extensively described, synaptic plasticity mechanisms at interhippocampal commissural fiber synapses are less well understood. In this project, we investigate cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent plasticity at commissural synapses in the CA1 region. We performed in vivo stereotactic injections of AAVs to express ChrimsonR unilaterally in CA3/CA2 glutamatergic neurons of one hippocamp