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Updated: Feb 19, 2026
Brain State-dependent Brain Stimulation with Real-time Electroencephalography-Triggered Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Published on: August 20, 2019
Ancestral Circuits for the Coordinated Modulation of Brain State
Matthew Lovett-Barron1, Aaron S Andalman1, William E Allen2
1Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Researchers discovered diverse neuromodulatory cell types, including monoaminergic, cholinergic, and peptidergic neurons, that regulate brain alertness. These findings reveal evolutionarily conserved mechanisms governing internal states in both zebrafish and mice.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Internal brain states significantly impact behavior.
- Neuromodulation governs fluctuating states like alertness, but underlying mechanisms and cell types remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for globally screening cell types involved in behavior.
- To identify specific neuromodulatory cell types governing alertness.
- To investigate the evolutionary conservation of these cell types and their functions.
Main Methods:
- Developed MultiMAP: a method integrating brain-wide activity imaging, molecular phenotyping, and cellular-resolution volume registration.
- Recorded activity from 22 neuromodulatory cell types in behaving zebrafish during a reaction-time task.
- Recorded from and controlled homologous neuromodulatory cells in mice.
Main Results:
- Identified multiple monoaminergic, cholinergic, and peptidergeric cell types linked to alertness in zebrafish.
- Found mutually correlated activity among these cell types during heightened alertness.
- Demonstrated striking evolutionary conservation of alertness-related cell-type dynamics and behavioral modulation in mice.
Conclusions:
- Established MultiMAP as a method for unbiased discovery of cellular elements underlying behavior.
- Revealed a conserved set of diverse neuromodulatory systems collectively governing internal brain states.
- Highlighted the importance of neuromodulation in behavioral regulation and internal state control.
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