“Motor cortical circuits to achieve context-dependent switch of movements”

Animals can execute different behaviors in the same context or the same behavior in different contexts. The brain determines what movement is executed in individual contexts. For this determination, inter-laminar and cortico-cortical communications are essential because information processing in the brain is performed in intra-areal circuits and through inter-areal interactions. Recent advances in two-photon microscopy have allowed us to simultaneously image multiple cortical layers and multiple cortical areas at cellular resolution. In this research, we are conducting two-photon calcium imaging of motor cortical neurons in multiple layers of multiple areas while mice performed several types of operant lever-manipulation tasks. Our purpose is to clarify how motor cortical neurons switch their activities to execute context-dependent movements.

Recent Publications
1. Hira R, Ohkubo F, Masamizu Y, Ohkura M, Nakai J, Okada T, Matsuzaki M (2014) Reward-timingdependent bidirectional modulation of cortical microcircuits during optical single-neuron
operant conditioning. Nat Commun 5: 5551.
2. Masamizu Y, Tanaka YR, Tanaka YH, Hira R, Ohkubo F, Kitamura K, Isomura Y, Okada T, Matsuzaki M (2014) Two distinct layer-specific dynamics of cortical ensembles during learning of a
motor task. Nat Neurosci 17: 987-994.
3. Hira R, Ohkubo F, Ozawa K, Isomura Y, Kitamura K, Kano M, Kasai H, Matsuzaki M (2013) Spatiotemporal dynamics of functional clusters of neurons in the mouse motor cortex during a
voluntary movement. J Neurosci 33: 1377-1390.

Posted:2016/03/10