Patterns of Spontaneous Activity in the Assembly and Rewiring of Functional Sensory Circuits
The project aims to investigate how early spontaneous brain activity influences sensory cortex specification and plasticity, using genetic analysis and perturbation in mice to inform clinical strategies for sensory deficits.
Projectdetails
Introduction
It is commonly held that spontaneous activity in the immature brain prepares the neural circuits to process sensory information at the onset of experience. The best-studied patterns of such activity are those observed postnatally in rodents, during stages that resemble the last months of gestation in humans.
Research Gap
However, the features and functions of spontaneous activity at earlier stages, when the brain’s foundations are laid down and cortical areal identities are acquired, remain largely unknown.
Research Proposal
Here, I propose to develop an extensive and creative research program aimed at understanding the role of the patterns of spontaneous activity in the specification of sensory cortices and long-term plasticity. This novel line of research is founded on strong preliminary results and pursues the hypothesis that different cortical sensory territories exhibit unique patterns of spontaneous activity that interact with emerging area-specific transcriptional programs to specify sensory areas functionally.
Methodology
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Extraction of Activity Patterns
We will first extract the earliest patterns of spontaneous activity from cortical and subcortical territories in embryonic and perinatal mice in vivo and study their concurrent spatiotemporal genetic signatures by single-cell transcriptomics. -
Perturbation of Activity Patterns
Next, we will perturb these early activity patterns within a specific sensory modality to reveal if such perturbation modifies the genetic landscape and affects sensory identity. -
Evaluation of Behavioral Consequences
Finally, we will evaluate the behavioral consequences of functional cortical re-specification in adult mice.
Expected Outcomes
SPONTSENSE will set the stage to understand the principles of sensory circuit development and shed new light on brain plasticity following sensory defects. I envisage that this information will pave the way to devise strategies that may serve to direct these programs of plasticity in clinical situations when sensory input has been compromised.
Financiële details & Tijdlijn
Financiële details
Subsidiebedrag | € 2.494.220 |
Totale projectbegroting | € 2.494.220 |
Tijdlijn
Startdatum | 1-1-2023 |
Einddatum | 31-12-2027 |
Subsidiejaar | 2023 |
Partners & Locaties
Projectpartners
- AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICASpenvoerder
- UNIVERSIDAD MIGUEL HERNANDEZ DE ELCHE
Land(en)
Vergelijkbare projecten binnen European Research Council
Project | Regeling | Bedrag | Jaar | Actie |
---|---|---|---|---|
Investigating the Molecular identity of PAcemaker neurons in CorTical developmentIMPACT aims to explore how cortical neuronal diversity affects early spontaneous activity and identify pacemaker neurons' roles, potentially leading to new interventions for perinatal disorders. | ERC Starting... | € 1.490.000 | 2022 | Details |
Neural Stem Cell Coordination: a Developmental, Evolutionary and Circuit perspectiveThis project aims to explore the molecular and functional diversity of neural stem cells in adult mammalian brain niches to understand their role in neurogenesis and brain plasticity. | ERC Starting... | € 1.497.575 | 2025 | Details |
Deciphering the Regulatory Logic of Cortical DevelopmentEpiCortex aims to map the regulatory landscape of mouse cortical development across timepoints to understand neuronal lineage specification and improve therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric diseases. | ERC Consolid... | € 1.999.643 | 2023 | Details |
Revealing the wiring rules of neural circuit assembly with spatiotemporally resolved molecular connectomicsThis project aims to develop a novel method for large-scale neural circuit tracing and RNA sequencing to understand genomic influences on brain connectivity and its implications for autism. | ERC Starting... | € 1.500.000 | 2024 | Details |
Neuromodulatory control of brain network dynamicsThis project aims to uncover the physiological mechanisms of spontaneous brain network dynamics in awake mice through advanced neuromodulation techniques, with implications for neuroscience. | ERC Consolid... | € 1.999.438 | 2025 | Details |
Investigating the Molecular identity of PAcemaker neurons in CorTical development
IMPACT aims to explore how cortical neuronal diversity affects early spontaneous activity and identify pacemaker neurons' roles, potentially leading to new interventions for perinatal disorders.
Neural Stem Cell Coordination: a Developmental, Evolutionary and Circuit perspective
This project aims to explore the molecular and functional diversity of neural stem cells in adult mammalian brain niches to understand their role in neurogenesis and brain plasticity.
Deciphering the Regulatory Logic of Cortical Development
EpiCortex aims to map the regulatory landscape of mouse cortical development across timepoints to understand neuronal lineage specification and improve therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric diseases.
Revealing the wiring rules of neural circuit assembly with spatiotemporally resolved molecular connectomics
This project aims to develop a novel method for large-scale neural circuit tracing and RNA sequencing to understand genomic influences on brain connectivity and its implications for autism.
Neuromodulatory control of brain network dynamics
This project aims to uncover the physiological mechanisms of spontaneous brain network dynamics in awake mice through advanced neuromodulation techniques, with implications for neuroscience.