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Focus: Brain, behavior and neural network dynamics
Focus: Brain, behavior and neural network dynamics
Basic function in normal brain and role in psychiatric disease
Basic function in normal brain and role in psychiatric disease
We use electrophysiology and behavioral methods to understand brain-behavior linkages in rodents. We aim to answer questions aimed both at fundamental neurobiological questions as well as the role of neural circuit electrophysiology in disease.
We use an approach informed by an understanding of neuronal microcircuit dynamics, macrocircuit connectivity and organism-level behavior to connect between the level of single neurons, networks of those neurons and animal behavior.
Recent work
Recent work
NonREM sleep actually de-synchornizes some neurons while synchronizing most
NonREM sleep actually de-synchornizes some neurons while synchronizing most
While nonREM sleep has been considered a "synchronized state", we find it actually desynchronizes many neurons in the cortex. A rhythm of about 1Hz tends to make populations of neurons all fire at once then stop at once, generally synchronizing them, but we find less than 10% of pairs are actively de-synchronized by this rhythm in nonREM. This new finding adds complexity to our understanding of nonREM sleep and delta oscillations.
Ognjanovski et al use 24-hour recordings to show that as circadian cycle progresses, inhibitory interneurons have varying levels of average activity. But interestingly, exictiatory popultions remain stable from hour-to-hour of the day. Sleep and wake in the day are also different from sleep and wake at night - showing that circadian rhythms superimpose onto even sleep state physiology.
A 3D printed rat headcap for silicon probes
A 3D printed rat headcap for silicon probes
Hartner et al develop a system for complex silicon probe surgeries in rats using 3D printed headcaps. These allow for bregma-centered coordinates on the headcap such that drives and probes can be pre-assembled before surgery on the cap. This minimizes surgical time and allows complex multi-device arrangements to expand experimental capacity.
Society for Neuroscience Conference 2024
Society for Neuroscience Conference 2024
We had a great time and learned a ton! More pics in Lab Life
Bueno et al discovered that REM sleep is structured into cycles between a "phasic REM"-like pole and a "tonic-REM" like pole, showing that the classical phasic/tonic dichotomy is actually a fluctuation at the infraslow timescale (minutes). These fluctuations affect a variety of physiologic features ranging from breathing, to eye movements to neural firing and neural assembly activity.
Tsimpanouli et al ask how neural circuits function differenetly during sleep in a model of SCA3-type spinocerebellar ataxia? Tia Tsimpanouli finds increased REM sleep duration and increased beta oscillatory power. This may mechanistically link SCA3 to other neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases that show REM pathology.
We propose that the neocortical populations have a constant "backbone" element to their sequence as well as a proportion of neurons with maleable timing. These stable and maleable aspects may have differential roles. The stable firing sequence may play a role in network homeostasis while the variable element may related to information "coding".
Why and how is the field of rodent ketamine research yielding such variable results. How can we interpret that variance?
Only stressed mice show antidepressant-like response to ketamine. Unestressed ones actually show an opposite response. See Paul Fitzgerald and Jessica Yen's paper here: Link
How neuronal activity changes during sleep and wake: An integrative and statistically-controlled re-analysis of data from neocortex and hippocampus
What we know about how antidepressants work at an electrophysiologic level
A minutes-timescale rhythm of the brain that dictates brain function and performance: What do we know about it already?
Might gamma oscillations be biomarkers for depression? What is the current state of the field in both patients and rodent models.
How field potential oscillations and neuronal firing rates are correlated time in the frontal cortex in rodent recordings.
Review article putting forward novel ideas about the role of learning rules in sculpting activity of cortical neuronal populations over wake-sleep cycles
Cortical neuronal firing rates are dynamically modulated over sleep wake cycles without novel learning tasks.
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