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Long-term Sensory Conflict in Freely Behaving Mice
Published on: February 20, 2019
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Opposite forms of adaptation in mouse visual cortex are controlled by distinct inhibitory microcircuits
Tristan G Heintz1, Antonio J Hinojosa1, Sina E Dominiak1
1Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK.
Nature Communications
|February 25, 2022
Summary
Neural circuits adapt to visual stimuli through complex gain changes in pyramidal cells, driven by distinct interneuron adaptations. Locomotion further modulates this gain balance, revealing circuit mechanisms for sensory processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Cortical sensory processing exhibits adaptation to prior stimulation, but the underlying cellular and circuit mechanisms remain unclear.
- Understanding how neural circuits adjust their sensitivity based on stimulus history is crucial for explaining perception and behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms of sensory adaptation in the primary visual cortex (V1) of mice.
- To elucidate how different types of interneurons and their interactions shape the response gain of pyramidal cells.
- To explore the impact of internal state changes, such as locomotion, on cortical circuit adaptation.
Main Methods:
- In vivo two-photon calcium imaging of neuronal activity in the primary visual cortex of awake, behaving mice.
- Stimulus presentation with varying contrast levels to probe adaptive responses.
- Electrophysiological recordings and optogenetic manipulations to identify and control specific interneuron populations (PV, SST, VIP).
Main Results:
- Pyramidal cell gain does not simply decrease with increased stimulus contrast; some cells increase gain to enhance detection of subsequent contrast decreases.
- Distinct adaptation dynamics (depression and sensitization) were observed in parvalbumin (PV), somatostatin (SST), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) interneurons.
- The net gain modulation of pyramidal cells results from the balance between depressing PV inputs and sensitizing SST inputs.
- Locomotion increases overall pyramidal cell gain while preserving the balance of adaptive mechanisms, suggesting activation of disinhibitory pathways (VIP->SST and SST->PV).
Conclusions:
- Cortical adaptation involves a dynamic interplay between different interneuron types, leading to complex gain modulation of pyramidal cells.
- Specific inhibitory microcircuits (PV, SST, VIP) orchestrate adaptive gain control in response to changing stimulus strength and internal states.
- Locomotion-induced state changes leverage disinhibitory circuits to adjust cortical gain, optimizing sensory processing during movement.
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