Optogenetic silencing

The ability to flexibly time movements is crucial for behavior. The motor cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus form a multiregional neural network, known as the cortico-basal ganglia thalamocortical (CBGTC) loop, which controls various aspects of motor behaviors, including the timing of actions [1]. For example, in mice performing a delayed licking task, average activity in the striatum and cortex ramp up to a threshold for executing a lick [2]. However, the distinct contributions from different cell types and regions within the CBGTC loop remain largely unknown due to the similarity in their r

Rapid learning confers significant advantages to animals in ecological environments. Despite the need for speed, animals appear to only slowly learn to associate rewarded actions with predictive cues. This slow learning is thought to be supported by a gradual expansion of predictive cue representation in the sensory cortex. However, evidence is growing that animals learn more rapidly than classical performance measures suggest, challenging the prevailing model of sensory cortical plasticity. Here, we investigated the relationship between learning and sensory cortical representations. We traine

Dysregulation in the vasopressinergic system has been linked to social behavior deficits and Autism in humans. We utilized Shank3B+/- mice, a murine ASD model, to examine social behavior abnormalities associated with the pathology. Our findings not only confirmed well-documented sociability deficit, but also revealed a reduction in social aggression. We hypothesized that a dysregulated vasopressinergic system might contribute to the observed impairments in social behavior. The lateral septum (LS), a brain region implicated in social behaviors and densely innervated with arginine vasopressin (A

Environmental enrichment improves hippocampus-dependent spatial learning and memory. However, how enrichment influences hippocampal network activity remains still largely unclear.Using cFos labeling, we showed that exploration of a novel context leads to increased cFos activity in hippocampal principal neurons in mice housed under both standard and enrichment conditions. Remarkably, the number of cFos-expressing cells was lower in enriched mice. Additionally, we recorded Ca2+ responses in CA1 pyramidal cells (PCs) using miniature microscope in mice performing exploration. We observed lower eve

Goal-directed spatial navigation requires accurate estimates of one’s position and destination, but these estimates are still not sufficient. An animal is often required to plan a navigational route because a direct path to the goal is not necessarily available. Despite its importance, the neural circuits supporting route planning ability remain poorly understood. Previous studies have implicated the orbitofrontal cortex in representing an animal's destination, and the hippocampus in representing its own position as well as goal-directed paths. We hypothesize that interactions between these re

…In this study, I combined optogenetic silencing of unilateral and bilateral mEC, of the local CA1 region, and

…prove this hypothesis, by lesioning or silencing either area CA3 or the entorhinal cortex and examinin

Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) or neuroprosthetics allow neural control over assistive devices. They also provide an important framework for studying neural plasticity. It has been suggested that learning is essential for robust neuroprosthetic control. However, little is known about neural processes in subcortical regions that support learning a neuroprosthetic skill. Recently, cortico-striatal interactions during neuroprosthetic learning have been explored5 but what are the emergent cerebellar dynamics with cortical neuroprosthetic control is unknown. We performed simultaneous electrophysio

A prevailing view of the role motor cortex plays in movement execution is that it’s limited to certain tasks, such as those involving novel muscle activation-patterns. Yet the relevant experimental support remains tenuous and the specific movement features that necessitate motor cortical involvement remain unclear. Classical studies often limited motor cortical function characterition to only a small number of qualitatively-defined movement types. Certain results suggest a broad motor cortical involvement in ensuring the smoothness/agility of many or all movements. Recent studies have raised t

During behavior, cortical neurons are continuously integrating task-relevant information from the opposite hemisphere. While the importance of bilateral integration to behavior may appear obvious, its underlying neural mechanisms are almost entirely unknown. Naïve models of processing often assume that bilateral integration only occurs at higher cortical levels, despite an abundance of interhemispheric (IH) circuits in the primary sensory cortices. However, the basic circuit logic by which the corpus callosum operates remains poorly understood. To reveal the logic of bilateral integration and

Inter-areal coherence between cortical field-potentials is a widespread phenomenon and depends on numerous behavioral and cognitive factors. It has been hypothesized that inter-areal coherence reflects phase-synchronization between local oscillations and flexibly gates communication. We reveal an alternative mechanism, where coherence results from and is not the cause of communication, and naturally emerges as a consequence of the fact that spiking activity in a sending area causes post-synaptic inputs both in the same area and in other areas. Consequently, coherence depends in a lawful manner