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Optogenetic Manipulation of Neuronal Activity to Modulate Behavior in Freely Moving Mice
Published on: October 27, 2020
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Optoception: Perception of Optogenetic Brain Perturbations
Jorge Luis-Islas1,2, Monica Luna1, Benjamin Floran2
1Laboratory of Neurobiology of Appetite. Department of Pharmacology, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, CINVESTAV, Mexico City, Mexico.
Eneuro
|June 17, 2022
Summary
Mice can perceive and learn from optogenetic brain perturbations, a phenomenon termed optoception. This discovery suggests the brain can monitor its own activity, enabling new brain-computer interfaces.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Optogenetics
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Optogenetics enables selective neural circuit manipulation for studying brain function.
- Understanding if animals can detect and learn from these perturbations is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if mice can perceive and utilize arbitrary optogenetic brain perturbations to guide behavior.
- To characterize the phenomenon of detecting internal brain manipulations.
Main Methods:
- Mice were trained to report optogenetic perturbations for rewards or to avoid punishments.
- Researchers analyzed responses across various brain regions and cell types (glutamatergic, GABAergic, dopaminergic).
Main Results:
- Mice demonstrated the ability to perceive optogenetic manipulations irrespective of the brain area or cell type stimulated.
- The phenomenon, termed 'optoception,' allowed mice to learn distinct behavioral responses based on stimulation parameters like laser frequency.
- Optoception was observed with both activation and silencing of cell types, and sensations differed between stimulated brain regions.
Conclusions:
- Mice possess 'optoception,' enabling them to monitor internal brain perturbations.
- This capability opens avenues for novel information encoding in the brain and advanced brain-computer interfaces.
