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Place cells in the claustrum remap under NMDA receptor control
Emanuela Rizzello1, Seán K Martin1, Jennifer Rouine1
1School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
The European Journal of Neuroscience
|June 3, 2022
Summary
Claustral place cells remap when visual input is removed, demonstrating NMDA receptor dependence. This suggests visual cortical input modulates claustral spatial representations, similar to hippocampal place cells.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Spatial Navigation
- Cellular Electrophysiology
Background:
- Place cells, crucial for spatial memory, are well-studied in the hippocampus.
- The claustrum, a less-explored region, also exhibits place cell activity.
- Claustral spatial representations are hypothesized to depend on visual cortical inputs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of visual input in claustral place cell remapping.
- To determine the involvement of NMDA receptor activity in this process.
- To analyze the impact of visual input elimination on claustral oscillatory activity.
Main Methods:
- Recording neuronal activity in rat claustrum and visual cortex.
- Manipulating environmental visual input.
- Administering NMDA receptor antagonists.
- Analyzing delta and theta band oscillatory activity.
Main Results:
- Claustral place cells remapped upon elimination of visual input.
- This remapping was dependent on NMDA receptor activity.
- Eliminating visual input altered claustral oscillatory patterns (decreased delta, increased theta).
- Visual cortical activity increased when visual input was removed.
Conclusions:
- Claustral place field remapping is modulated by visual cortical inputs.
- NMDA receptor activity likely mediates claustral place field remapping, analogous to the hippocampus.
- The claustrum plays a significant role in spatial representation influenced by sensory information.
