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A Cortical Circuit for Gain Control by Behavioral State CELL Fu, Y., Tucciarone, J. M., Espinosa, J. S., Sheng, N., Darcy, D. P., NiColl, R. A., Huang, Z. J., Stryker, M. P. 2014; 156 (6): 1139-1152

Abstract

The brain's response to sensory input is strikingly modulated by behavioral state. Notably, the visual response of mouse primary visual cortex (V1) is enhanced by locomotion, a tractable and accessible example of a time-locked change in cortical state. The neural circuits that transmit behavioral state to sensory cortex to produce this modulation are unknown. In vivo calcium imaging of behaving animals revealed that locomotion activates vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-positive neurons in mouse V1 independent of visual stimulation and largely through nicotinic inputs from basal forebrain. Optogenetic activation of VIP neurons increased V1 visual responses in stationary awake mice, artificially mimicking the effect of locomotion, and photolytic damage of VIP neurons abolished the enhancement of V1 responses by locomotion. These findings establish a cortical circuit for the enhancement of visual response by locomotion and provide a potential common circuit for the modulation of sensory processing by behavioral state.

View details for DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2014.01.050

View details for Web of Science ID 000332945100006

View details for PubMedID 24630718

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC4041382