Biology subjects

Leighton, A. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Leighton, A. H..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

A unified open-source platform for multimodal neural recording and perturbation during naturalistic behavior

Behavioral neuroscience faces two conflicting demands: long-duration recordings from large neural populations and unimpeded animal behavior. To meet this challenge, we developed ONIX, an open-source data acquisition system with high data throughput (2GB/sec) and low closed-loop latencies (<1ms) that uses a novel 0.3 mm thin tether to minimize behavioral impact. Head position and rotation are tracked in 3D and used to drive active commutation without torque measurements. ONIX can acquire from combinations of passive electrodes, Neuropixels probes, head-mounted microscopes, cameras, 3D-trackers, and other data sources. We used ONIX to perform uninterrupted, long ([~]7 hours) neural recordings in mice as they traversed complex 3-dimensional terrain. ONIX allowed exploration with similar mobility as non-implanted animals, in contrast to conventional tethered systems which restricted movement. By combining long recordings with full mobility, our technology will enable new progress on questions that require high-quality neural recordings during ethologically grounded behaviors.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Clustered synapses develop in distinct dendritic domains in visual cortex before eye opening

Synaptic inputs to cortical neurons are highly structured in adult sensory systems, such that neighboring synapses along dendrites are activated by similar stimuli. This organization of synaptic inputs, called synaptic clustering, is required for high-fidelity signal processing, and clustered synapses can already be observed before eye opening. However, how clustered inputs emerge during development is unknown. Here, we employed concurrent in vivo whole-cell patch clamp and dendritic calcium imaging to map spontaneous synaptic inputs to dendrites of layer 2/3 neurons in the mouse primary visual cortex during the second postnatal week until eye opening. We find that the number of functional synapses and the frequency of transmission events increase several fold during this developmental period. At the beginning of the second postnatal week, synapses assemble specifically in confined dendritic segments, whereas other segments are devoid of synapses. By the end of the second postnatal week, just before eye-opening, dendrites are almost entirely covered by domains of co-active synapses. Finally, co-activity with their neighbor synapses correlates with synaptic stabilization and potentiation. Thus, clustered synapses form in distinct functional domains presumably to equip dendrites with computational modules for high-capacity sensory processing when the eyes open.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Control of spontaneous activity patterns by inhibitory signaling in the developing visual cortex

During early development, even before the senses are active, bursts of activity travel across the nervous system. This spontaneously generated activity drives the refinement of synaptic connections, preparing young networks for patterned sensory input. Synaptic fine-tuning relies not only on the presence of spontaneous activity, but also on the specific characteristics of these activity patterns, such as their frequency, amplitude and synchronicity. Here, we provide evidence that these crucial characteristics are shaped by the relative balance of excitation and inhibition, where patterns with distinct characteristics have different excitatory/inhibitory ratios. Inhibition can control whether cells participate during a spontaneous event, as pharmacogenetic suppression of the somatostatin (SST) expressing subtype of inhibitory interneurons increased cell recruitment and lateral spread of events.

neuroscience↗