Topic: patch-clamp recordings

Neuromodulators like dopamine are critical regulators of associative learning. Indeed, dopaminergic neurons in the dorsal tegmental area interact with the lateral central amygdala (CEl) circuitry involved in fear behavior. Thus, fear learning modulates the microcircuit of the CEl composed of somatostatin-positive (SST+) and protein kinase C-positive (PKCδ+) neurons. During this process, dopamine 1 receptor (D1R) activation enables LTP induction in SST+ CEl neurons (Groessl et al. 2018, Nat Neurosci 21:952-962).In fact, a detailed analysis of dopaminergic cellular effects on synaptic transmissi

Individual neurons’ action potentials (APs) have a dynamic waveform, the shape of which differs by neuron subtype and species. In analyses of single-unit data, however, this waveform is reduced to a binary “all-or-nothing” event, with systems and cognitive neuroscience focusing on the number and timing of spike events. This analytical convenience has, in turn, resulted in computational theories of neural coding that assume binarity.Despite this assumption, a considerable body of evidence shows that AP waveforms exhibit systematic, within-neuron variation that may contribute additional informat

Compulsive drug seeking is a key behavioral trait when studying transition to cocaine addiction in rodent models. Understanding how neurophysiological changes operate in circuits of compulsion, and searching for molecular markers to distinguish addictive vs. non-addictive individuals may help us to understand the mechanisms underlying cocaine addiction. Cocaine-evoked synaptic plasticity has been shown to correlate with addictive-like behavior in certain brain regions of the mesolimbic dopamine system. In the subthalamic nucleus (STN), specific oscillatory frequencies are associated to compuls

Cortex harbors a diverse range of inhibitory interneuron (IN) types, each of which shapes cortical activity in a unique way. Collectively, these INs control and orchestrate neuronal activity, thereby bestowing cortex with its computational power. Whereas genetic markers have greatly facilitated the study of various cortical IN types, a selective marker for INs in L1 has long been missing. Here, we use the recently identified neuron-derived neurotrophic factor (NDNF) to characterize the properties of mouse auditory cortex L1INs in vitro. First, using in vitro patch-clamp recordings in combinati

Anti-NMDA receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is associated with the presence of autoantibodies against subunit 1 of the NMDA receptor (NR1) resulting in a variety of psychiatric symptoms as well as cognitive and motor impairments. These autoantibodies can arise in adulthood but also during pregnancy where they have been shown to affect the developing foetal brain and are implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and learning disabilities. Binding of these autoantibodies causes internalization of surface NMDAR leading to their reduced expression and disrupted signalling. To what ex

The hypothalamic, peptide hormone, oxytocin (OXT), is a powerful modulator of social-, stress- and anxiety-related behaviors, as is the brainstem, neuropeptide relaxin-3 (RLN3). Recent studies indicate the involvement of KCNQ potassium channels in neuronal OXT and RLN3 signaling, with these neuropeptides displaying opposing excitatory and inhibitory actions, respectively. OXT receptors (OXTR) and RLN3 receptors (RXFP3) are expressed by neurons in the rat ventral hippocampal CA3 area (vCA3), which is involved in social behavior and anxiety control; but the possible interaction between OXT and R

Recent research has extended the role of the neurohormone oxytocin far beyond mating and bonding. Oxytocin now appears as a cornerstone that allows individuals to adapt their group interaction in a flexible, age and context-dependent manner. On the other hand, recent data showed that the cerebellum actually contributes to cognitive, emotional, and perceptual brain functions. Finally, both oxytocin and its receptors are present in the cerebellum, but this system remains poorly characterized.Here, we studied the effects of oxytocin-receptor (OXTR) activation on Purkinje cell activity in vitro an

GABAergic interneurons (INs) highly impact cortical development. For instance, early postnatal dysregulation of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)- expressing GABAergic INs has been shown to impair sensory processing and learning, emerging from adolescence on. Thus, investigating the functional maturation and network integration of VIP-INs is important for understanding brain development. Here, we studied developmental changes in passive and active membrane parameters of VIP-INs and their network integration into the developing neocortex with an emphasised focus on the maturation of their