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| Open AccessLearning in a sensory cortical microstimulation task is associated with elevated representational stability
Cortical representations exhibit variable levels of stability, potentially impacting learning. Here, using an optogenetic cortical microstimulation task, the authors show that faster learning takes place in mice with more stable microstimulation responses.
- Ravi Pancholi
- , Lauren Ryan
- & Simon Peron
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Article
| Open AccessNeural correlates of hierarchical predictive processes in autistic adults
It remains unclear whether autism spectrum disorder is characterized by changes in predictive mechanisms. Here, the authors show that, in both neurotypical and autistic adults, priors influence percepts at the behavioral and neural levels and are hierarchically encoded in the brain.
- Laurie-Anne Sapey-Triomphe
- , Lauren Pattyn
- & Johan Wagemans
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| Open AccessCombinatorial encoding of odors in the mosquito antennal lobe
The human smell that attracts mosquitoes includes many chemical odorants. Here, authors used electrophysiology to probe neurons in the antennal lobe region of the tiny mosquito brain and found that they represent odorants using a combinatorial code.
- Pranjul Singh
- , Shefali Goyal
- & Nitin Gupta
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| Open AccessParieto-occipital ERP indicators of gut mechanosensation in humans
Understanding the neural processes governing the human gut-brain connection has been challenging. Here, the authors investigate the perceptual response and neural correlates of gastrointestinal sensation using a minimally invasive mechanosensory probe.
- Ahmad Mayeli
- , Obada Al Zoubi
- & Sahib S. Khalsa
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| Open AccessDistinct neural mechanisms construct classical versus extraclassical inhibitory surrounds in an inhibitory nucleus in the midbrain attention network
Imc is a midbrain inhibitory nucleus essential for stimulus selection across space. Here, the authors show in the barn owl that global inhibitory surrounds of Imc neurons are constructed within Imc, but their classical inhibitory surrounds are inherited from inputs.
- Hannah M. Schryver
- & Shreesh P. Mysore
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Article
| Open AccessOdor-regulated oviposition behavior in an ecological specialist
There is much interest in how animals adapt behaviorally to their ecological niche. Here, the authors demonstrate a role for olfaction in the oviposition preference of the noni fruit specialist Drosophila sechellia, and evidence for an important contribution of Ir75b, a receptor for the noni odor hexanoic acid.
- Raquel Álvarez-Ocaña
- , Michael P. Shahandeh
- & Richard Benton
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Article
| Open AccessMultisite regulation integrates multimodal context in sensory circuits to control persistent behavioral states in C. elegans
Animals must integrate multiple inputs to switch between behavioral states. Here, authors discover two C. elegans behavioral states and reveal a common regulatory logic through which they are controlled according to multimodal environmental changes.
- Saurabh Thapliyal
- , Isabel Beets
- & Dominique A. Glauser
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Article
| Open AccessHomeostatic synaptic plasticity rescues neural coding reliability
How synaptic plasticity affects neural coding reliability is not well understood. Here, the authors find that reducing neurotransmitter release probability triggers a homeostatic compensation to maintain neural coding and behavioral reliability.
- Eyal Rozenfeld
- , Nadine Ehmann
- & Moshe Parnas
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| Open AccessTransient photocurrents in a subthreshold evidence accumulator accelerate perceptual decisions
The rate at which third-order olfactory neurons integrate synaptic inputs to spike threshold is thought to determine the speed of odor discrimination in Drosophila. Here, authors compare the impact of subthreshold optogenetic membrane potential manipulations on decision-making.
- Timothy L. H. Wong
- , Clifford B. Talbot
- & Gero Miesenböck
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Article
| Open AccessCentral medial thalamic nucleus dynamically participates in acute itch sensation and chronic itch-induced anxiety-like behavior in male mice
Itch is known to involve the parabrachial nucleus, but the following transmission nodes remain elusive. Here, the authors show in male mice that the central medial thalamic nucleus—medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) pathway transmits itch signals and is involved in both acute scratching and chronic itch-related affective behavior, with an altered excitatory/inhibitory balance in mPFC in chronic itch models.
- Jia-Ni Li
- , Xue-Mei Wu
- & Yun-Qing Li
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Article
| Open AccessMotor cortex gates distractor stimulus encoding in sensory cortex
The neocortex can filter out stimuli that distract us from our goals. Here the authors demonstrate in mice a mechanism of distractor filtering, in which top-down inputs from motor cortex to sensory cortex prevents the internal propagation of distractor stimuli.
- Zhaoran Zhang
- & Edward Zagha
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| Open AccessPeripersonal encoding of forelimb proprioception in the mouse somatosensory cortex
In contrast to tactile sensations, proprioceptive cortical coding is barely studied in the mammalian brain. Here, using calcium imaging and optogenetic silencing experiments during a forelimb displacement paradigm in mice, the authors locate the proprioceptive cortex to both sensory and motor cortex, and further find passive limb movements to be encoded as a spatial direction vector interfacing the limb with the body’s peripersonal space.
- Ignacio Alonso
- , Irina Scheer
- & Mario Prsa
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Article
| Open AccessMultiplex translaminar imaging in the spinal cord of behaving mice
Fluorescence imaging of the spinal cord poses challenges, including depth of imaging. Here the authors describe a custom microscope and chronically implanted microprism that enables multicolor translaminar imaging of sensory and motor evoked activity in behaving mice, and show that spinal astrocytes show sensorimotor program-dependent calcium excitation.
- Pavel Shekhtmeyster
- , Erin M. Carey
- & Axel Nimmerjahn
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| Open AccessA melanopsin ganglion cell subtype forms a dorsal retinal mosaic projecting to the supraoptic nucleus
In addition to rod and cone photoreceptors, the mammalian retina contains intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). Here the authors identify a population of ipRGCs that encode ventral vision.
- Michael H. Berry
- , Michael Moldavan
- & Benjamin Sivyer
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| Open AccessExpectation violations enhance neuronal encoding of sensory information in mouse primary visual cortex
In order to efficiently process incoming sensory information, our brain is thought to make predictions about future events. Here, the authors show how neurons in the mouse visual cortex enhance their representation of unpredicted surprising events.
- Matthew F. Tang
- , Ehsan Kheradpezhouh
- & Ehsan Arabzadeh
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Article
| Open AccessA photoswitchable inhibitor of TREK channels controls pain in wild-type intact freely moving animals
Research on pain often relies on animals, and there is always a need for more precise and more ethical tools. Here, authors present a light-activatable molecule that induces pain in freely moving animal models in a reversible, non-invasive, and spatiotemporally defined way.
- Arnaud Landra-Willm
- , Ameya Karapurkar
- & Guillaume Sandoz
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| Open AccessAn analgesic pathway from parvocellular oxytocin neurons to the periaqueductal gray in rats
The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin exerts analgesic effects, but the underlying pathways remain largely elusive. Here, the authors describe an analgesic pathway formed by oxytocin neurons projecting to the periaqueductal grey, where axonally released oxytocin activates oxytocin-receptor expressing GABA neurons and subsequently reduces pain-like behaviors in both female and male rats.
- Mai Iwasaki
- , Arthur Lefevre
- & Alexandre Charlet
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Article
| Open AccessLow-dimensional encoding of decisions in parietal cortex reflects long-term training history
Posterior parietal cortex supports visual categorization in macaque monkeys. Here, the authors quantify low-dimensional neural population activity using tensor regression to find that long term training history impacts encoding of categorization.
- Kenneth W. Latimer
- & David J. Freedman
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Article
| Open AccessIntrafusal-fiber LRP4 for muscle spindle formation and maintenance in adult and aged animals
Muscle spindles sense muscle tension to coordinate body movement. This paper reveals a mechanism of spindle formation and maintenance and to better understanding changes in movement in muscle disorders and ageing.
- Rangjuan Cao
- , Peng Chen
- & Lin Mei
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| Open AccessSynchronized activity of sensory neurons initiates cortical synchrony in a model of neuropathic pain
Increased low frequency cortical oscillations are observed in neuropathic pain. Here the authors perform Ca2+ imaging of DRG sensory neurons in a mouse model of neuropathic pain, and show that synchronized activity of DRG neurons occurs within hours after injury and 1-2 days before increased cortical oscillations are observed.
- Chao Chen
- , Linlin Sun
- & Peifu Tang
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| Open AccessCross-species transcriptomic atlas of dorsal root ganglia reveals species-specific programs for sensory function
Sensory neurons are critical for maintaining tissue homeostasis. Here, the authors generated a single-nuclei cross-species atlas of the dorsal root ganglia, revealing conserved programs for sensory function that could inform therapeutic hypotheses.
- Min Jung
- , Michelle Dourado
- & Joshua S. Kaminker
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| Open AccessAdaptive coding across visual features during free-viewing and fixation conditions
How the visual system adapts to stimuli along multiple feature axes during natural viewing is poorly understood. Here, the authors show significant enhancement of stimulus coding of image features in visual cortex after rapid exposure to an orthogonal feature.
- Sunny Nigam
- , Russell Milton
- & Valentin Dragoi
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Article
| Open AccessVertebrate OTOP1 is also an alkali-activated channel
pH sensation is critical for survival of vertebrates. Here, authors found six vertebrate OTOP1 channels that were highly conserved and directly activated by extracellular alkali. Key mutations of OTOP1 reduced alkali affinity without affecting acid activation.
- Lifeng Tian
- , Hao Zhang
- & Ren Lai
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| Open AccessTopographic organization of eye-position dependent gain fields in human visual cortex
It is not fully understood how sensory ambiguity introduced by eye movements is resolved by the visual system. Here, the authors use an encoding model to capture gain modulation of visual responses in 7 T fMRI data.
- Jasper H. Fabius
- , Katarina Moravkova
- & Alessio Fracasso
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| Open AccessTiltable objective microscope visualizes selectivity for head motion direction and dynamics in zebrafish vestibular system
Signals about head orientation and movement in the vestibular periphery are fundamental to the sense of balance and motion, but difficult to measure systematically during head motion. Here, the authors build a microscope that visualizes neural activity in hair cells and vestibular ganglion cells during 360° head tilt and vibration in zebrafish larvae, and reveal a topographic organization of direction- and static/dynamic stimulus-selective responses.
- Masashi Tanimoto
- , Ikuko Watakabe
- & Shin-ichi Higashijima
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| Open AccessHedgehog-mediated gut-taste neuron axis controls sweet perception in Drosophila
Food regulates taste perception, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not clear. Here, the authors reveal that sugar intake in Drosophila induces the gut to secrete Hedgehog into the circulation that suppresses sweet taste, sugar perception and preference.
- Yunpo Zhao
- , Mohammed A. Khallaf
- & Mattias Alenius
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Article
| Open AccessA signal-like role for floral humidity in a nocturnal pollination system
Flowers are well known for attracting pollinators with visual and olfactory displays. Here, the authors show that in a nocturnal, desert pollination system, flower choice by pollinators is also mediated by floral humidity.
- Ajinkya Dahake
- , Piyush Jain
- & Robert A. Raguso
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| Open AccessHuman visual consciousness involves large scale cortical and subcortical networks independent of task report and eye movement activity
Isolating the neural mechanisms of consciousness is complicated by task report and other irrelevant signals. Here, the authors removed report and eye movement confounds to uncover large scale cortical-subcortical networks specific for human visual consciousness.
- Sharif I. Kronemer
- , Mark Aksen
- & Hal Blumenfeld
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| Open AccessLong-range GABAergic projections contribute to cortical feedback control of sensory processing
Classically, corticofugal feedback projections that adjust sensory processing are excitatory. Here, the authors uncover the presence of top-down inhibitory projections from cortical GABAergic neurons in the olfactory system, which directly inhibit olfactory bulb circuits.
- Camille Mazo
- , Antoine Nissant
- & Gabriel Lepousez
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Article
| Open AccessSexually dimorphic architecture and function of a mechanosensory circuit in C. elegans
Mechanosensation is crucial for survival in many organisms. Here, authors reveal that the two sexes of C. elegans show dramatic differences in circuit architecture, neuronal activity and molecular components to drive mechanosensory behavior.
- Hagar Setty
- , Yehuda Salzberg
- & Meital Oren-Suissa
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| Open AccessTuning instability of non-columnar neurons in the salt-and-pepper whisker map in somatosensory cortex
Rodent sensory cortex contains intermixed representations of sensory features. Here the authors investigated the whisker somatotopic map among L2/3 pyramidal neurons in somatosensory cortex in awake mice performing a sensory discrimination task.
- Han Chin Wang
- , Amy M. LeMessurier
- & Daniel E. Feldman
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Article
| Open AccessCone opponent functional domains in primary visual cortex combine signals for color appearance mechanisms
Psychophysical studies predict that retinal cone-opponent mechanisms interact in specific combinations to generate color perception. Here, the authors show that the predicted interactions are implemented by organized circuits in primary visual cortex.
- Peichao Li
- , Anupam K. Garg
- & Edward M. Callaway
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Article
| Open AccessThe human TRPA1 intrinsic cold and heat sensitivity involves separate channel structures beyond the N-ARD domain
The authors report how the cold and heat sensing properties of the pain receptor TRPA1 are separately modulated by the C-terminal intracellular domain, and in concert with either the S1–S4 or the S5–S6 transmembrane domain.
- Lavanya Moparthi
- , Viktor Sinica
- & Peter M. Zygmunt
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| Open AccessBehaviourally modulated hippocampal theta oscillations in the ferret persist during both locomotion and immobility
Cross-species research is key to fully understanding brain function. Here, the authors present the ferret as a species for hippocampal research and show that, in stark contrast to rats, ferrets have robust theta oscillations during immobility.
- Soraya L. S. Dunn
- , Stephen M. Town
- & Daniel Bendor
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Article
| Open AccessThermosensation in Caenorhabditis elegans is linked to ubiquitin-dependent protein turnover via insulin and calcineurin signalling
Sensation of environmental changes is vital for organismal homeostasis. Here, the authors report that protein degradation in the gut of Caenorhabditis elegans is regulated through insulin and calcineurin signalling upon neuronal sensation of temperature changes.
- Alexandra Segref
- , Kavya L. Vakkayil
- & Thorsten Hoppe
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| Open AccessClassical center-surround receptive fields facilitate novel object detection in retinal bipolar cells
Center-surround receptive fields are typically considered to mediate edge detection. Here, by studying retinal bipolar cells responding to flashed and moving stimuli, the authors reveal an additional function: enhanced representation of newly appearing visual items.
- John A. Gaynes
- , Samuel A. Budoff
- & Alon Poleg-Polsky
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| Open AccessCenter-surround interactions underlie bipolar cell motion sensitivity in the mouse retina
Motion vision is critical for survival. Here the authors show that motion detection occurs already in bipolar cells of the mouse retina, which may contribute to motion processing throughout the visual system.
- Sarah Strauss
- , Maria M. Korympidou
- & Anna L. Vlasits
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| Open AccessLearning enhances encoding of time and temporal surprise in mouse primary sensory cortex
Activity in the superficial layers of the sensory cortex is believed to be largely driven by incoming sensory stimuli. Here the authors demonstrate how learning changes neural responses to sensations according to both behavioral relevance and timing, suggesting a high degree of non-sensory modulation.
- Rebecca J. Rabinovich
- , Daniel D. Kato
- & Randy M. Bruno
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| Open AccessTransformation of primary sensory cortical representations from layer 4 to layer 2
The transform performed by superficial primary sensory cortex is poorly understood. Here the authors show that sensory stimulus-evoked activity shifts from a broadly distributed, probabilistic response in cortical layer 4 to a sparse and robust ensemble-based response in cortical layer 2.
- Bettina Voelcker
- , Ravi Pancholi
- & Simon Peron
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Article
| Open AccessCausal contribution of optic flow signal in Macaque extrastriate visual cortex for roll perception
Extrastriate visual cortex encodes optic flow, yet a direct link to perception has yet to be established. Here, the authors apply electrical microstimulation to reveal that roll signals in MSTd causally contribute to rotation perception around line-of-sight.
- Wenhao Li
- , Jianyu Lu
- & Yong Gu
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Article
| Open AccessCircuit analysis reveals a neural pathway for light avoidance in Drosophila larvae
Studying neural circuits requires a multipronged approach. Here, the authors present a transsynaptic tracing tool in fruit fly larvae and combine it with neuronal inhibition and activation to study the circuit underlying light avoidance behaviour.
- Altar Sorkaç
- , Yiannis A. Savva
- & Gilad Barnea
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Article
| Open AccessA Cryptochrome adopts distinct moon- and sunlight states and functions as sun- versus moonlight interpreter in monthly oscillator entrainment
Reproduction in numerous marine organisms is timed to specific moon phases, but the mechanisms for sensing moon phases are incompletely understood. Here the authors report that an ancient, light-sensitive protein L-Cryptochrome in a marine bristle worm can discriminate between sun- and moonlight, enabling the animals to properly decode moon phases.
- Birgit Poehn
- , Shruthi Krishnan
- & Kristin Tessmar-Raible
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Article
| Open AccessCell type-specific calcium imaging of central sensitization in mouse dorsal horn
Altered mechanosensation by application of capsaicin to the skin is thought to be spinally mediated. Here, the authors use Ca2+ imaging in spinal neurons and develop a cell profiling approach to identify populations involved in central sensitization.
- Charles Warwick
- , Joseph Salsovic
- & Sarah E. Ross
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Article
| Open AccessA neural correlate of perceptual segmentation in macaque middle temporal cortical area
Perceptual segmentation, grouping distinct parts of the input for further processing, is a hard problem for sensory systems. Here, the authors report a link between spiking activity in primate visual cortical area MT and subjective segmentation.
- Andrew M. Clark
- & David C. Bradley
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Article
| Open AccessVisual evoked feedforward–feedback traveling waves organize neural activity across the cortical hierarchy in mice
Processing sensory stimuli requires coordinated activation of neurons broadly distributed across many distant cortical sites, yet it is not clear how this coordination is accomplished in the brain. Here, the authors show that visual stimuli reliably evoke traveling waves of activity that percolate through the cortex and orchestrate neuronal firing across primary visual and association cortices.
- Adeeti Aggarwal
- , Connor Brennan
- & Alex Proekt
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Article
| Open AccessAudiovisual adaptation is expressed in spatial and decisional codes
The brain adapts dynamically to the statistics of its environment. Here, the authors use psychophysics and model-based representational fMRI and EEG to show that audiovisual recalibration relies on distinct spatial and decisional codes that are expressed with opposite gradients and time courses across the auditory processing hierarchy.
- Máté Aller
- , Agoston Mihalik
- & Uta Noppeney
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Article
| Open AccessOlfactory modulation of barrel cortex activity during active whisking and passive whisker stimulation
Rodents use both touch and smell to get around. This work describes how olfactory information is combined with touch perception in the cortex to guide behavior.
- Anthony Renard
- , Evan R. Harrell
- & Brice Bathellier
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Article
| Open AccessEcholocation-related reversal of information flow in a cortical vocalization network
How cortical areas interact during vocalization is not fully understood. Here the authors show that when bats vocalize, the behavioral function of emitted sounds determines the direction of information flow between frontal and auditory cortices.
- Francisco García-Rosales
- , Luciana López-Jury
- & Julio C. Hechavarría
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| Open AccessExisting function in primary visual cortex is not perturbed by new skill acquisition of a non-matched sensory task
Using an optical brain computer interface in mice, here the authors demonstrate that new skill acquisition is not inherently disruptive to existing function. These findings suggest neural networks are robust to perturbations associated with integrating new information.
- Brian B. Jeon
- , Thomas Fuchs
- & Sandra J. Kuhlman