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Two-Photon in vivo Imaging of Dendritic Spines in the Mouse Cortex Using a Thinned-skull Preparation
Published on: May 12, 2014
Sleep and waking modulate spine turnover in the adolescent mouse cortex.
Stephanie Maret1, Ugo Faraguna, Aaron B Nelson
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Nature Neuroscience
|October 11, 2011
Summary
Waking increases cortical spines, while sleep causes spine loss in adolescent mice. This suggests that behavioral states like sleep and wakefulness actively remodel brain synapses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cellular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Cortical development involves dynamic synaptic formation (synaptogenesis) and elimination (pruning).
- Synaptic plasticity in adults is influenced by behavioral states.
- The interplay between sleep, waking, and synaptic remodeling remains an active area of research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of sleep and waking states on synaptic remodeling in the adult cortex.
- To determine if behavioral states differentially affect synaptic spine dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized in vivo two-photon microscopy in adolescent mice.
- Tracked dynamic changes in cortical dendritic spines during sleep and waking periods.
Main Results:
- Waking states were associated with a net increase in the number of cortical dendritic spines.
- Sleep states were correlated with a net loss of cortical dendritic spines.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral states, specifically sleep and wakefulness, actively influence synaptic remodeling in the cortex.
- These findings highlight a novel mechanism by which experience and behavior shape neural circuits throughout life.
