BRAIN project (Plenz): Readout and Control of Spatiotemporal Neuronal Codes of Behavior

National Institute Of Mental Health

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

During the third year of this U19 grant, we made substantial progress in quantifying the performance of our in vivo 2-photon imaging (2PI) in combination with spatial light modulation for single cell stimulation in the awake animal. 1. Spatiotemporal precision in optical stimulation of single nerve cells in the awake animal. We took advantage of the higher spatial resolution in our upgraded Spatial Light Modulation (SLM) system and the increase in laser stimulation efficiency due to our recent up-grade to a low-repetition laser. We experimentally obtained stimulation profile functions, which allowed us to optimize our stimulation protocols to excite single nerve cells inside the brain of a mouse. We reliably obtained single cell responses during temporally and spatially precise SLM stimulation in the mouse brain. 2. Areal and interareal targeting of neuronal activity. We further optimized our ability to identify primary and higher-order visual areas in the cortex of living mice. These high-precision maps are important for targeted stimulation in the brain. This line of research was further expanded by the successful installation of a 2-photon imaging mesoscope in conjunction with the Histed group. The mesoscope will allow for simultaneous recording of several brain areas with high cellular resolution. 3. Advances in identifying critical brain dynamics. Our theoretical analysis and computer simulations established box-scaling as a robust approach to overcome limitations in 2-photon imaging. Specifically, 2-photon imaging limits access to brain dynamics through a recording window, which affects the identification of critical brain dynamics. By introducing a systematic change in window size, the effect of such windowing can be estimated through a procedure called scaling.