Sparse optical microstimulation in barrel cortex drives learned behaviour in freely moving mice

Huber, D., Petreanu, L., Ghitani, N., Ranade, S., Hromadka, T., Mainen, Z., Svoboda, K. (January 2008) Sparse optical microstimulation in barrel cortex drives learned behaviour in freely moving mice. Nature, 451 (7174). pp. 61-4.

Abstract

Electrical microstimulation can establish causal links between the activity of groups of neurons and perceptual and cognitive functions. However, the number and identities of neurons microstimulated, as well as the number of action potentials evoked, are difficult to ascertain. To address these issues we introduced the light-gated algal channel channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) specifically into a small fraction of layer 2/3 neurons of the mouse primary somatosensory cortex. ChR2 photostimulation in vivo reliably generated stimulus-locked action potentials at frequencies up to 50 Hz. Here we show that naive mice readily learned to detect brief trains of action potentials (five light pulses, 1 ms, 20 Hz). After training, mice could detect a photostimulus firing a single action potential in approximately 300 neurons. Even fewer neurons (approximately 60) were required for longer stimuli (five action potentials, 250 ms). Our results show that perceptual decisions and learning can be driven by extremely brief epochs of cortical activity in a sparse subset of supragranular cortical pyramidal neurons.

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: Investigative techniques and equipment
Investigative techniques and equipment > optical devices
organism description > animal
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions > barrel cortex
organism description > animal > mammal > rodent > mouse
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL Post Doctoral Fellows
CSHL labs > Mainen lab
CSHL labs > Svoboda lab
School of Biological Sciences > Publications
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: 3 January 2008
Date Deposited: 22 Feb 2013 21:32
Last Modified: 22 Sep 2014 15:01
PMCID: PMC3425380
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/27623

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