The research successfully optimized electrophysiological recording setups using SiNAPS probes, allowing chronic, high-resolution recording of neuronal activity from socially housed mice. Crucial advancements included innovations in implant design, animal housing conditions, and signal processing methods, leading to stable recordings for durations of up to 90 days.
Behavioral studies demonstrated clear social cognition impairments in the LgDel mouse model. These studies involved various social and cognitive tasks, including novel object recognition, social preference, social novelty recognition, and emotion discrimination tests. Electrophysiological recordings were synchronized precisely with these behavioral tasks, producing rich datasets for analysis.
Fibre photometry recordings to detect oxytocin release initially encountered significant challenges, as available oxytocin biosensors lacked sensitivity in the mPFC region. Consequently, the research shifted focus toward examining dopamine fluctuations using a more sensitive dopamine biosensor, providing novel insights into neurotransmitter dynamics underlying social behaviors. This approach revealed distinct patterns of dopamine fluctuations associated with impaired social cognition in LgDel mice compared to wild-type counterparts.
The project also advanced neuron classification techniques through the integration of novel spike-sorting algorithms, allowing the distinction between different neuron types based on electrophysiological data, enhancing our understanding of specific neuronal population roles in social cognition.
