@article {67235, title = {The anterior cingulate cortex directs exploration of alternative strategies.}, journal = {Neuron}, volume = {109}, year = {2021}, month = {2021 Jun 2}, pages = {1876-87}, abstract = {

The ability to adjust one{\textquoteright}s behavioral strategy in complex environments is at the core of cognition. Doing so efficiently requires monitoring the reliability of the ongoing strategy and, when appropriate, switching away from it to evaluate alternatives. Studies in humans and non-human primates have uncovered signals in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) that reflect the pressure to switch away from the ongoing strategy, whereas other ACC signals relate to the pursuit of alternatives. However, whether these signals underlie computations that actually underpin strategy switching or merely reflect tracking of related variables remains unclear. Here we provide causal evidence that the rodent ACC actively arbitrates between persisting with the ongoing behavioral strategy and temporarily switching away to re-evaluate alternatives. Furthermore, by individually perturbing distinct output pathways, we establish that the two associated computations-determining whether to switch strategy and committing to the pursuit of a specific alternative-are segregated in the ACC microcircuitry.

}, issn = {1097-4199}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuron.2021.03.028}, author = {Tervo, D Gowanlock R and Kuleshova, Elena and Manakov, Maxim and Proskurin, Mikhail and Karlsson, Mattias and Lustig, Andy and Behnam, Reza and Karpova, Alla Y} } @article {49545, title = {Imaging cortical dynamics in GCaMP transgenic rats with a head-mounted widefield macroscope.}, journal = {Neuron}, year = {2018}, month = {2018 Oct 22}, abstract = {

Widefield imaging of calcium dynamics is an emerging method for mapping regional neural activity but is currently limited to restrained animals. Here we describe cScope, a head-mounted widefield macroscope\ developed to image large-scale cortical dynamics in rats during natural behavior. cScope provides a 7.8\ {\texttimes} 4\ mm field of view and dual illumination paths for both fluorescence and hemodynamic correction and can be fabricated at low cost using readily attainable components. We also report the development of Thy-1 transgenic rat strains with widespread neuronal expression of the calcium indicator GCaMP6f. We combined these two technologies to image large-scale calcium dynamics in the dorsal neocortex during a visual evidence accumulation\ task. Quantitative analysis of task-related dynamics revealed multiple regions having neural signals that encode behavioral choice and sensory evidence. Our results provide a new transgenic resource for calcium imaging in rats and extend the domain of head-mounted microscopes to larger-scale cortical dynamics.

}, issn = {1097-4199}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.050}, author = {Scott, Benjamin B and Thiberge, Stephan Y and Guo, Caiying and Tervo, D Gowanlock R and Brody, Carlos D and Karpova, Alla Y and Tank, David W} } @article {47934, title = {A designer AAV variant permits efficient retrograde access to projection neurons.}, journal = {Neuron}, volume = {92}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Oct 19}, pages = {372-82}, abstract = {

Efficient retrograde access to projection neurons for the delivery of sensors and effectors constitutes an important and enabling capability for neural circuit dissection. Such an approach would also be useful for gene therapy, including the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by pathological spread through functionally connected and highly distributed networks. Viral vectors, in particular, are powerful gene delivery vehicles for the nervous system, but all available tools suffer from inefficient retrograde transport or limited clinical potential. To address this need, we applied in\ vivo directed evolution to engineer potent retrograde functionality into the capsid of adeno-associated virus (AAV), a vector that has shown promise in neuroscience research and the clinic. A newly evolved variant, rAAV2-retro, permits robust retrograde access to projection neurons with efficiency comparable to classical synthetic retrograde tracers and enables sufficient sensor/effector expression for functional circuit interrogation and in\ vivo genome editing in targeted neuronal populations. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

}, issn = {1097-4199}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuron.2016.09.021}, author = {Tervo, D Gowanlock R and Hwang, Bum-Yeol and Viswanathan, Sarada and Gaj, Thomas and Lavzin, Maria and Ritola, Kimberly D and Lindo, Sarah and Michael, Susan and Kuleshova, Elena and Ojala, David and Huang, Cheng-Chiu and Gerfen, Charles R and Schiller, Jackie and Dudman, Joshua T and Hantman, Adam W and Looger, Loren L and Schaffer, David V and Karpova, Alla Y} }