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

作者：Huber Daniel; Petreanu Leopoldo; Ghitani Nima; Ranade Sachin; Hromadka Tomas; Mainen Zach; Svoboda Karel^*

来源：Nature, 2008, 451(7174): 61-U7.

DOI：10.1038/nature06445

Electrical microstimulation can establish causal links between the activity of groups of neurons and perceptual and cognitive functions(1-6). However, the number and identities of neurons microstimulated, as well as the number of action potentials evoked, are difficult to ascertain(7,8). To address these issues we introduced the light- gated algal channel channelrhodopsin- 2 (ChR2)(9) 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(10-13) 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.

• 出版日期2008-1-3