Featured
-
Article |
Triple dissociation of visual, auditory and motor processing in mouse primary visual cortex
The authors show that sound-evoked activity in mouse visual cortex consists of both an auditory and a motor component. These have different temporal and spatial profiles (across neurons and layers) but limited impact on ongoing visual processing.
- Matthijs N. Oude Lohuis
- , Pietro Marchesi
- &Cyriel M. A. Pennartz
-
Article
| Open AccessA ubiquitous spectrolaminar motif of local field potential power across the primate cortex
This study reports a motif of local field potentials that maps onto the anatomical layers of the cortex, is preserved across macaque cortical areas and across primates and may represent a ubiquitous layer-based and frequency-based cortical mechanism.
- Diego Mendoza-Halliday
- , Alex James Major
- &André M. Bastos
-
Article
| Open AccessThe developmental timing of spinal touch processing alterations predicts behavioral changes in genetic mouse models of autism spectrum disorders
Tasnim et al. show that ASD-associated genes act in different compartments of somatosensory circuits and that differences in developmental timing of ASD gene function and circuit maturation contribute to phenotypic heterogeneity across ASD models.
- Aniqa Tasnim
- , Ilayda Alkislar
- &David D. Ginty
-
Article |
Behavior-relevant top-down cross-modal predictions in mouse neocortex
Han and Helmchen demonstrate that the dynamic interactions between a higher association area and a primary sensory area in the neocortex can shape sensory representation and govern behavioral choices.
- Shuting Han
- &Fritjof Helmchen
-
Perspective |
Bayesian encoding and decoding as distinct perspectives on neural coding
This paper characterizes two distinct philosophies underlying previous work on how Bayesian computations are linked to neural data, highlighting how different theories may be motivated by different tacit assumptions and thereby explain different data.
- Richard D. Lange
- , Sabyasachi Shivkumar
- &Ralf M. Haefner
-
Article |
A dynamic sequence of visual processing initiated by gaze shifts
Parker et al. recorded neural activity in V1 of freely moving mice and freely gazing marmosets. In both species, neurons respond to gaze shifts in a temporal sequence, such that new visual input is processed in a ‘coarse’ to ‘fine’ manner.
- Philip R. L. Parker
- , Dylan M. Martins
- &Cristopher M. Niell
-
Article |
Backward masking in mice requires visual cortex
The authors introduce a novel visual masking task and use recordings and optogenetics to reveal the role of visual cortex.
- Samuel D. Gale
- , Chelsea Strawder
- &Shawn R. Olsen
-
Article
| Open AccessTranscriptionally defined amygdala subpopulations play distinct roles in innate social behaviors
The authors describe the connectivity, response profile and behavioral roles of two transcriptionally defined amygdala populations from separate embryonic lineages and show how responses of one population change with social experience.
- Julieta E. Lischinsky
- , Luping Yin
- &Dayu Lin
-
Article
| Open AccessModel metamers reveal divergent invariances between biological and artificial neural networks
The authors test artificial neural networks with stimuli whose activations are matched to those of a natural stimulus. These ‘model metamers’ are often unrecognizable to humans, demonstrating a discrepancy between human and model sensory systems.
- Jenelle Feather
- , Guillaume Leclerc
- &Josh H. McDermott
-
Article
| Open AccessActivity in primate visual cortex is minimally driven by spontaneous movements
In primates, activity in the visual cortex is not driven by spontaneous body movements. These results confirm the functional specialization of primate visual processing, in contrast with findings in mice, and highlight the importance of cross-species comparisons.
- Bharath Chandra Talluri
- , Incheol Kang
- &Hendrikje Nienborg
-
Article |
Rapid compensatory plasticity revealed by dynamic correlated activity in monkeys in vivo
Neural networks must balance associative plasticity with rapid compensatory processes to maintain stable activity patterns. Andrei et al. provide in vivo evidence of a rapid homeostatic process that decreases network connectivity when excitatory neurons are synchronously activated.
- Ariana R. Andrei
- , Alan E. Akil
- &Valentin Dragoi
-
Article
| Open AccessMultilevel visual motion opponency in Drosophila
A single cell type in the Drosophila visual system implements motion-opponent inhibition at multiple consecutive circuit levels. This neural architecture enables high stimulus selectivity without compromising sensitivity under noisy conditions.
- Georg Ammer
- , Etienne Serbe-Kamp
- &Alexander Borst
-
Brief Communication
| Open AccessControl and coding of pupil size by hypothalamic orexin neurons
The biological meaning of eye pupil size is a subject of intense research. This study shows that pupil fluctuations reveal information about hypothalamic orexin cells, which control pupil size via a noradrenaline neural circuit.
- Nikola Grujic
- , Alexander Tesmer
- &Denis Burdakov
-
Article
| Open AccessFlexible neural control of transition points within the egg-laying behavioral sequence in Drosophila
Behaviors often consist of sequences of component actions. Cury and Axel identify distinct classes of sensory neurons that control the transitions between the components of egg laying in the fly that afford this behavior an adaptive flexibility.
- Kevin M. Cury
- &Richard Axel
-
Article
| Open AccessIntermediate acoustic-to-semantic representations link behavioral and neural responses to natural sounds
The authors compare three classes of models—acoustic, semantic and sound-to-event deep neural network—to determine which can best link specific features of auditory stimuli to predicted functional magnetic resonance imaging responses in auditory cortical regions.
- Bruno L. Giordano
- , Michele Esposito
- &Elia Formisano
-
Article |
Neurons in the caudal ventrolateral medulla mediate descending pain control
The caudal ventrolateral medulla was thought to be involved in pain control, but its pathway was unknown. Here, Gu et al. identify the molecular components of a caudal ventrolateral medulla–locus coeruleus–spinal cord pathway and show it has a role in counter-stimulus pain control.
- Xinglong Gu
- , Yizhen Z. Zhang
- &Mark A. Hoon
-
Article |
Mapping thalamic innervation to individual L2/3 pyramidal neurons and modeling their ‘readout’ of visual input
The authors map thalamic synapses onto layer 2/3 mouse visual cortex neurons, showing they are sparse, small and heterogeneously distributed. Modeling these data suggests that a few neurons could together reliably decode thalamic visual input.
- Aygul Balcioglu
- , Rebecca Gillani
- &Elly Nedivi
-
Article
| Open AccessBehavioral origin of sound-evoked activity in mouse visual cortex
Sounds evoke activity in visual cortex. Bimbard et al. find that this activity is stereotyped across cells, not specific to visual cortex, independent of inputs from auditory cortex and predicted by stereotyped movements elicited by the sounds.
- Célian Bimbard
- , Timothy P. H. Sit
- &Matteo Carandini
-
Article
| Open AccessAwake perception is associated with dedicated neuronal assemblies in the cerebral cortex
Filipchuk et al. show that when awake mice perceive sounds, the auditory cortex produces sound-specific neuronal assemblies distinct from its ongoing activity, whereas under anesthesia sound-evoked assemblies are indistinguishable from ongoing activity.
- Anton Filipchuk
- , Joanna Schwenkgrub
- &Brice Bathellier
-
Article
| Open AccessReduced neural feedback signaling despite robust neuron and gamma auditory responses during human sleep
Intracortical recordings in humans reveal that auditory stimulation during sleep induces robust spiking and high-gamma responses, whereas alpha–beta desynchronization—likely reflecting neural feedback processes—is reduced compared to wakefulness.
- Hanna Hayat
- , Amit Marmelshtein
- &Yuval Nir
-
Research Highlight |
Togetherness for stability
- Luis A. Mejia
-
Article |
Common and stimulus-type-specific brain representations of negative affect
Using multiple types of negative affect stimuli, functional magnetic resonance imaging and predictive modeling, Čeko et al. show that the brain integrates generalized and stimulus-type-specific representations of aversive events to jointly predict subjective experience.
- Marta Čeko
- , Philip A. Kragel
- &Tor D. Wager
-
Article
| Open AccessThe preference for sugar over sweetener depends on a gut sensor cell
Buchanan, Rupprecht, Kaelberer and colleagues show that the preference for sugar over sweetener in mice depends on gut neuropod cells. Akin to other sensor cells, neuropod cells swiftly communicate the precise identity of stimuli to drive food choices.
- Kelly L. Buchanan
- , Laura E. Rupprecht
- &Diego V. Bohórquez
-
Review Article |
Large-scale neural recordings call for new insights to link brain and behavior
Neuroscientists can measure activity from more neurons than ever before, garnering new insights and posing challenges to traditional theoretical frameworks. New frameworks may help researchers use these observations to shed light on brain function.
- Anne E. Urai
- , Brent Doiron
- &Anne K. Churchland
-
Article |
Mechanically evoked defensive attack is controlled by GABAergic neurons in the anterior hypothalamic nucleus
Xie et al. report that GABAergic neurons in the anterior hypothalamic nucleus control mechanically evoked defensive attack, an important survival behavior that is often the last line of defense against threatening stimuli (for example, predators).
- Zhiyong Xie
- , Huating Gu
- &Peng Cao
-
Article |
Corticothalamic feedback sculpts visual spatial integration in mouse thalamus
The authors show that retinotopically organized feedback from the primary visual cortex sharpens receptive fields and contributes to surround suppression in mouse visual thalamus, probably by recruiting inhibition through the thalamic reticular nucleus.
- Gregory Born
- , Felix A. Schneider-Soupiadis
- &Laura Busse
-
Article
| Open AccessMouse visual cortex areas represent perceptual and semantic features of learned visual categories
Goltstein et al. investigate the role of mouse visual cortical areas in information-integration category learning. They report widespread changes in neuronal response properties, most prominently in a higher visual area, the postrhinal cortex.
- Pieter M. Goltstein
- , Sandra Reinert
- &Mark Hübener
-
News & Views |
A visuomotor microcircuit in frontal cortex
Visually guided behavior begins with inputs to sensory cortices, but the decision to initiate actions engages the frontal cortex. A new study dissects a microcircuit for visual-to-motor transformation in the anterior cingulate cortex of the mouse with implications for impulsivity and disease states.
- Heather K. Ortega
- &Alex C. Kwan
-
Article |
Predictive encoding of motion begins in the primate retina
The authors utilize information theory to show that four of the output pathways in the primate retina encode predictive information about visual motion. They further show the nonlinear circuit mechanisms that contribute to this computation.
- Belle Liu
- , Arthur Hong
- &Michael B. Manookin
-
News & Views |
Good decisions require more than information
Sensory information encoding in the mouse brain is more suboptimal when mice make correct decisions than when they make incorrect ones. These suboptimal encoding structures can help information flow between different brain regions, enhancing the ability of these brain regions to work together to make decisions.
- N. Alex Cayco-Gajic
- &Joel Zylberberg
-
Article |
Efficient and adaptive sensory codes
Detecting stimulus changes requires different strategies than encoding stationary stimuli. Młynarski and Hermundstad extend efficient coding theory to non-stationary environments and derive adaptive codes that best balance these competing objectives.
- Wiktor F. Młynarski
- &Ann M. Hermundstad
-
Article |
Correlations enhance the behavioral readout of neural population activity in association cortex
Correlations in neural activity in association cortex can benefit behavioral performance in perceptual tasks, even when decreasing sensory information, by facilitating the propagation and the readout of information carried by population activity.
- Martina Valente
- , Giuseppe Pica
- &Stefano Panzeri
-
Article |
Burst-dependent synaptic plasticity can coordinate learning in hierarchical circuits
The authors propose a synaptic plasticity rule for pyramidal neurons based on postsynaptic bursting that captures experimental data and solves the credit assignment problem for deep networks.
- Alexandre Payeur
- , Jordan Guerguiev
- &Richard Naud
-
Article |
Rotational dynamics reduce interference between sensory and memory representations
During implicit learning, the authors find that sensory representations in mouse auditory cortex evolve over time, rotating into orthogonal memory representations. This allows short-term memories to avoid interference from new sensory inputs.
- Alexandra Libby
- &Timothy J. Buschman
-
Article |
An offset ON–OFF receptive field is created by gap junctions between distinct types of retinal ganglion cells
Cooler and Schwartz describe a retinal ganglion cell type with receptive field properties generated by asymmetric morphology and an electrical connection, via gap junctions, to a different type of retinal ganglion cell.
- Sam Cooler
- &Gregory W. Schwartz
-
Article |
Auditory activity is diverse and widespread throughout the central brain of Drosophila
Pacheco et al. present new methods for the unbiased recording and cataloging of sensory activity throughout the Drosophila brain and across trials and individuals. They find auditory activity is temporally diverse but present in neurons throughout nearly all central brain regions.
- Diego A. Pacheco
- , Stephan Y. Thiberge
- &Mala Murthy
-
Article |
Spinal astrocytes in superficial laminae gate brainstem descending control of mechanosensory hypersensitivity
Kohro et al. identify a population of astrocytes located in the superficial dorsal horn of adult spinal cord (genetically defined by Hes5) that acts as a gate for locus coeruleus descending noradrenergic control of mechanosensory hypersensitivity.
- Yuta Kohro
- , Tsuyoshi Matsuda
- &Makoto Tsuda
-
Article |
Cortical-like dynamics in recurrent circuits optimized for sampling-based probabilistic inference
Neural oscillations, transients and variability are widely observed in sensory cortices. All these features emerge in neural networks optimized for the singular task of representing perceptual uncertainty in the variability of neural responses.
- Rodrigo Echeveste
- , Laurence Aitchison
- &Máté Lengyel
-
Article |
Active dendritic currents gate descending cortical outputs in perception
The authors showed that the ‘moment of perception’ is causally related to dendritic activity in subcortically projecting layer 5 pyramidal neurons that project to the higher-order thalamus, superior colliculus and striatum.
- Naoya Takahashi
- , Christian Ebner
- &Matthew E. Larkum
-
Article |
Complementary contributions of non-REM and REM sleep to visual learning
Tamaki et al. measured MRS changes in sleeping humans trained on a visual task. During NREM sleep, learning gains were associated with enhanced visual cortical plasticity that was also seen independent of learning. REM sleep stabilized plasticity only after pre-sleep learning.
- Masako Tamaki
- , Zhiyan Wang
- &Yuka Sasaki
-
Article |
Cortical reactivations of recent sensory experiences predict bidirectional network changes during learning
Cellular imaging reveals that visual cue-evoked activity patterns in visual association cortex are reactivated during subsequent quiet waking. Reactivation rates scale with cue salience and predict next-day changes in functional connectivity and behavior.
- Arthur U. Sugden
- , Jeffrey D. Zaremba
- &Mark L. Andermann
-
News & Views |
Anesthesia analgesia in the amygdala
General anesthetics during surgery are presumed to block pain by dampening brain activity and promoting loss-of-consciousness. A new study shows that anesthetics activate an endogenous analgesia neural ensemble in the central nucleus of the amygdala.
- Nora M. McCall
- , Jessica A. Wojick
- &Gregory Corder
-
Article |
General anesthetics activate a potent central pain-suppression circuit in the amygdala
Hua and Chen et al. show that general anesthesia activates a distinct population of central amygdala neurons and that these neurons can potently suppress pain responses through their widespread projections to many pain-processing centers in the brain.
- Thuy Hua
- , Bin Chen
- &Fan Wang
-
Article |
Dysfunction of cortical GABAergic neurons leads to sensory hyper-reactivity in a Shank3 mouse model of ASD
Chen, Deister et al. show that Shank3B-knockout mice display hypersensitivity to tactile sensory stimulation and that dysfunction of interneurons in somatosensory cortex contributes to the sensory hyper-reactivity in this mouse model of autism.
- Qian Chen
- , Christopher A. Deister
- &Guoping Feng
-
Article |
Ultrasonic signals associated with different types of social behavior of mice
A sound source localization system reveals behavior-dependent vocal emission and thereby unmasks functions of social vocalization.
- Daniel T. Sangiamo
- , Megan R. Warren
- &Joshua P. Neunuebel
-
Article |
Whitening of odor representations by the wiring diagram of the olfactory bulb
The authors measure evoked activity and perform dense reconstruction of the olfactory bulb wiring diagram in a zebrafish larva, uncovering a mechanism for whitening, a computation that decorrelates activity for pattern classification by memory networks.
- Adrian A. Wanner
- &Rainer W. Friedrich
-
Article |
A neural basis of probabilistic computation in visual cortex
Although Bayesian models provide good accounts of perceptual decisions, it is unclear how their components are represented in the brain. This paper addresses this question by showing that uncertainty decoded from visual cortex helps predict behavior.
- Edgar Y. Walker
- , R. James Cotton
- &Andreas S. Tolias
-
Resource |
A large-scale standardized physiological survey reveals functional organization of the mouse visual cortex
By comparing neural responses to diverse visual stimuli measured with a standardized two-photon imaging pipeline, the authors reveal response specializations within the mouse visual cortex.
- Saskia E. J. de Vries
- , Jerome A. Lecoq
- &Christof Koch
-
Article |
Neural circuits for evidence accumulation and decision making in larval zebrafish
Bahl and Engert show that larval zebrafish can temporally integrate sensory information. The authors then use brain-wide functional imaging to search for, characterize and model brain areas that are well-suited to implement the underlying processes.
- Armin Bahl
- &Florian Engert
-
Article |
Binocular viewing geometry shapes the neural representation of the dynamic three-dimensional environment
Bonnen et al. find that representations of 3D motion in primate cortical neurons have an unexpected structure that is shaped by the projection of the world onto the retinae. They demonstrate a link between this structure and human perceptual errors.
- Kathryn Bonnen
- , Thaddeus B. Czuba
- &Lawrence K. Cormack
