Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AudiLearn (Deciphering the long-range modulation of neuronal networks in auditory-guided behavior learning)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-07-01 bis 2023-06-30
Throughout our life we learn to identify sounds in our environment like birds, cars or accents. This is crucial to adapt our behavior in different context. The neuronal circuits allowing such a learning were not yet understood. The aim of our project was to decipher how neuronal activity is modulated by learning. Moreover, it was to better understand what was the influence of higher-order brain areas in this process and how local inhibitory neurons modulates this influence. We discovered that inhibitory neurons show a progressive reduction of their activity over learning. This is mostlikely necessary to allow for the input from higher-order brain areas to increase and facilitate learning. These findings are crucial for the neuroscience community but also could help to better understand pathologies characterised by sensory processing alterations such as schizophrenia or autism.
We recorded the changes of neuronal activity in the auditory cortex of mice whilee they learned to discriminate sounds using in vivo electrophysiology. We used optogenetics to identify subpopulations of inhibitory neurons as well as to manipulate specific population of neurons in mice while they learned an auditory discrimination task. We used viral tracing to identify input received by auditory neurons to be able to subsequently manipulate those inputs using optogenetics.
We found that somatostatin-expressing interneurons in the auditory cortex have a progressive reduction of their activity during auditory learning whereas excitatory neurons show an increase of their response to learned sounds. We then manipulated the activity of somatostatin-expressing neurons using optogenetics during the auditory task and found that they control the speed of learning. We are currently adressing the role of inputs from higher-order brain areas to the auditory cortex in auditory learning using optogenetics and behavioral tasks.
I presented these results to scientists in different seminars and congresses. I also presented my project to students of different backgrounds and to the general public when they visited the lab. As soon as we have the final data, we will submit the manuscript related to this project to a high impact-factor journal.
We found that somatostatin-expressing interneurons in the auditory cortex have a progressive reduction of their activity during auditory learning whereas excitatory neurons show an increase of their response to learned sounds. We then manipulated the activity of somatostatin-expressing neurons using optogenetics during the auditory task and found that they control the speed of learning. We are currently adressing the role of inputs from higher-order brain areas to the auditory cortex in auditory learning using optogenetics and behavioral tasks.
I presented these results to scientists in different seminars and congresses. I also presented my project to students of different backgrounds and to the general public when they visited the lab. As soon as we have the final data, we will submit the manuscript related to this project to a high impact-factor journal.
We highlight a critical role for somatostatin-expressing neurons in auditory learning and we expect to also show a role of higher-order brain areas in such mechanism. The impact of this project are manyfold. First, it is essential for the understanding of the neuronal circuit governing auditory learning. Second, it is crucial to better understand dysfunctions leading to cognitive auditory deficits as present in autism or schizophrenia.