Silicon probes

…We used high-density silicon probes to record single-unit responses simultaneously from auditory cortex (AC), and a downstream region i

Internal states and behavior are associated with brain-wide changes in the activity of neuronal circuits. Such global shifts are believed to be implemented by changes in neuromodulatory tone. Neuromodulators originate from a few neurons and are released widely throughout the brain to alter the function of target circuits.The amygdala plays an essential role in the processing of emotional stimuli. Salience and synaptic alterations in this region are critical for emotional processing and learning. The amygdala is innervated by all major neuromodulators, yet we know little about the dynamics of n

…in freely-behaving male mice using silicon probes while the animals were free to spontaneously explore different rewards. The arena contained several natural reward

Spatial memory consolidation is supported by the coupling of hippocampus (HPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activities during sleep. The thalamic nucleus reuniens (NR), reciprocally connected to the HPC and the mPFC, is thought to play a key role in this process. In order to characterize the interactions of these structures during memory consolidation, we developed a new experimental protocol. On an automated maze, animals learn a daily trajectory to a reward and are tested for performance in subsequent sleep. During this protocol, we conduct high-density recording of the HPC, NR and mP

The prefrontal areas of the cortex have been implicated in decision making and flexible behaviour in different species spanning from rodents to non-human primates and humans. In particular, the orbitofrontal cortex has been associated with value representation and integration and the prelimbic cortex with strategy changes. However, the neuronal mechanism underlying such cognitive processes remains elusive. We aim to gain further mechanistic insights into how neuronal circuits of the prefrontal cortex compute decisions, both at a single neuron and population level, and how circuit operations ca

We trained five rats to perform a complex auditory-guided task in a large environment (diameter 160 cm) with twelve nose-poke ports. To obtain rewards, rats had to position themselves at specific locations indicated by sounds. Despite the nontrivial task, rats reached high success rates within two 70-minute sessions. We modeled the task as a Markov Decision Process. Observed rat trajectories resembled the model's optimal policies. However, while optimal policies were deterministic, observed behavior was non-deterministic. We introduced non-deterministic, information-limited policies that reali

…with a main focus on Neuropixels probes. Dr Kris Schoepfer, US Product Specialist at Scientifica, will provide an overview of multielectrode technologies available to record from one or more brain areas simultaneously, including: DIY multielectrode probes; Tetrodes / Hyperdrives; Silicon probes; Neuropixels. Dr Sylvia Schröd

Open-source tools are gaining an increasing foothold in neuroscience. The rising complexity of experiments in systems neuroscience has led to a need for multiple parts of experiments to work together seamlessly. This means that open-source tools that freely interact with each other and can be understood and modified more easily allow scientists to conduct better experiments with less effort than closed tools. Open Ephys is an organization with team members distributed all around the world. Our mission is to advance our understanding of the brain by promoting community ownership of the tools w