Circuit Diagrams

The past decade has seen major advances in the tools available to neuroscientists, making it possible to ask increasingly specific questions regarding which neurons and circuits are correlated with, necessary for, and sufficient for, specific behavioral or computational functions. Advancements in our understanding of neural computation and how it leads to complex behavior critically depend on accurate measurements of coordinated neural activities in behaving animals.

PROJECT SUMMARY In our work with patients with neurological disorders, we often encounter patients and families who are afraid. They are afraid that due to their neurodegenerative disorder or potential treatment, such as neurosurgery, they will cease to exist – they will no longer be who they “are”. Clinicians typically refer to this construct as personality or characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

PROJECT SUMMARY Adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) systems can record neural activity and adjust stimulation in real time. These systems have emerged as a promising alternative to address significant limitations in conventional open-loop DBS treatment of neuropsychiatric and movement disorders.

Great discoveries in neuroscience hold promise for reducing the burden of many of the most disabling conditions that threaten human health on a global scale, including mental illnesses and addictions. Increasingly, exceptionally innovative science inspires hope that these devastating brain-based disorders may be prevented, treated, and even cured but, as the

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT New technologies that modulate brain function have tremendous potential for alleviating the persistent burden of depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders, but also raise challenging ethical and societal questions regarding self-ownership and control over our thoughts, emotions and actions. For these reasons, the President’s Bioethics Commission and other experts have called for the integration of ethics and neuroscience from the earliest stages of research.

Project Summary/Abstract Circuit mechanisms underlying evidence accumulation during decision-making Behavior across many types of decision-making is well described by the gradual accumulation of evidence toward one of multiple alternatives. Neuronal correlates of the accumulation of evidence during perceptual decision-making have been observed in many areas in the brain. Recent work in a rat auditory evidence accumulation task has identified a causal role for a number of brain structures, including the frontal cortex, basal ganglia, and the superior colliculus.

PROJECT SUMMARY Research participants face complex decisions about the surgical removal of implanted devices upon exiting clinical trials of implanted neurotechnology. Ethical safeguards are needed to ensure consent practices and exit procedures respect the bodily integrity of research participants while minimizing risks associated with exposure to novel neurotechnologies. The current research will first characterize and evaluate existing safeguards through a review of regulations and research practices related to exit from neurotechnology research protocols.

Project Summary Chronic sleep disturbance affects 10-20% of the population in the developed world, representing a substantial public health problem. Given the ubiquitous nature of sleep across the animal kingdom, intense investigation is underway into the biological functions of sleep. A primary hypothesis is that sleep facilitates memory consolidation following learning, as sleep restriction or fragmentation impairs memory performance across species. The circuitry coupling sleep and memory remains undefined.

7. Project Summary/Abstract Opioid receptors (ORs), consisting of -, -, and -ORs, are neuropeptide receptors that are broadly involved in regulating analgesia, mood, reward, and motor coordination. Opioid signaling is correspondingly implicated in a variety of behavioral disorders, including depression, drug addiction, stress, and dyskinesia. Understanding how OR circuit activity influences behavior is therefore critical to developing better treatments for disorders such as depression and addiction.

Project Summary Dopamine (DA) is a powerful neuromodulator that facilitates memory formation and underlies reward-related behaviors by regulating synaptic plasticity. Microdialysis and voltammetry are commonly used to measure extracellular concentrations of neuromodulators in vivo, but these techniques suffer from poor temporal resolution and neurotransmitter specificity, respectively.