Abstract
The thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) is hypothesized to regulate neocortical rhythms and behavioral states. Using optogenetics and multi-electrode recording in behaving mice, we found that brief selective drive of TRN switched the thalamocortical firing mode from tonic to bursting and generated state-dependent neocortical spindles. These findings provide causal support for the involvement of the TRN in state regulation in vivo and introduce a new model for addressing the role of this structure in behavior.
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Acknowledgements
This work was partially supported by a US National Institutes of Health award (R01 NS045130-05) to C.I.M.
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M.H., J.S. and C.I.M. designed the experiments and analyses. M.H. and J.S. conducted the experiments and analyses. J.T. and G.F. developed the transgenic model. J.S. and J.R. developed the optics-integrated chronic implants. M.H., J.S. and C.I.M. wrote the manuscript. C.I.M. supervised the project.
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Halassa, M., Siegle, J., Ritt, J. et al. Selective optical drive of thalamic reticular nucleus generates thalamic bursts and cortical spindles. Nat Neurosci 14, 1118–1120 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2880
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2880
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