Neural ensemble dynamics underlying a long-term associative memory.

The brain's ability to associate different stimuli is vital for long-term memory, but how neural ensembles encode associative memories is unknown. Here we studied how cell ensembles in the basal and lateral amygdala encode associations between conditioned and unconditioned stimuli (CS and US, respectively). Using a miniature fluorescence microscope, we tracked the Ca2+ dynamics of ensembles of amygdalar neurons during fear learning and extinction over 6 days in behaving mice. Fear conditioning induced both up- and down-regulation of individual cells' CS-evoked responses. This bi-directional plasticity mainly occurred after conditioning, and reshaped the neural ensemble representation of the CS to become more similar to the US representation. During extinction training with repetitive CS presentations, the CS representation became more distinctive without reverting to its original form. Throughout the experiments, the strength of the ensemble-encoded CS-US association predicted the level of behavioural conditioning in each mouse. These findings support a supervised learning model in which activation of the US representation guides the transformation of the CS representation.

Direct (Hetero)arylation Polymerization: Simplicity for Conjugated Polymer Synthesis.

Direct (hetero)arylation polymerization (DHAP) has recently been established as an environmentally benign method for the preparation of conjugated polymers. This synthetic tool features the formation of C-C bonds between halogenated (hetero)arenes and simple (hetero)arenes with active C-H bonds, thereby circumventing the preparation of organometallic derivatives and decreasing the overall production cost of conjugated polymers. Since its inception, selectivity and reactivity of DHAP procedures have been improved tremendously through the careful scrutinity of polymerization outcomes and the fine-tuning of reaction conditions. A broad range of monomers, from simple arenes to complex functionalized heteroarenes, can now be readily polymerized. The successful application of DHAP now leads to nearly defect-free conjugated polymers possessing comparable, if not slightly better, characteristics than their counterparts prepared using classical cross-coupling methods. This comprehensive review describes the mechanisms involved in this process from experimental and theoretical standpoints, presents an up-to-date compendium of materials obtained by this means, and exposes its current limitations and challenges.

Robust Direct (Hetero)arylation Polymerization in Biphasic Conditions.

The synthesis of conjugated polymers from direct (hetero)arylation polymerization (DHAP) has been achieved for the first time using biphasic water/toluene conditions. This protocol is robust enough to form polymers even when air is introduced in the system. General reactivity is demonstrated for a single set of polymerization conditions with thienyl- or phenyl-based substrates, whether they are electron-rich or electron-poor. Complete characterization from differential scanning calorimetry and 1H NMR and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopies is presented, demonstrating this DHAP protocol offers comparable or better properties than the very best values published thus far. High molecular weights are obtained, showcasing the perfect equilibrium of reactivity and selectivity attained with this method. Moreover, this efficient and versatile methodology, which also uses low-cost, "wet" reagents, is scalable and done at ambient pressure.

Encoding of conditioned fear in central amygdala inhibitory circuits.

The central amygdala (CEA), a nucleus predominantly composed of GABAergic inhibitory neurons, is essential for fear conditioning. How the acquisition and expression of conditioned fear are encoded within CEA inhibitory circuits is not understood. Using in vivo electrophysiological, optogenetic and pharmacological approaches in mice, we show that neuronal activity in the lateral subdivision of the central amygdala (CEl) is required for fear acquisition, whereas conditioned fear responses are driven by output neurons in the medial subdivision (CEm). Functional circuit analysis revealed that inhibitory CEA microcircuits are highly organized and that cell-type-specific plasticity of phasic and tonic activity in the CEl to CEm pathway may gate fear expression and regulate fear generalization. Our results define the functional architecture of CEA microcircuits and their role in the acquisition and regulation of conditioned fear behaviour.

Structure of cortical network activity across natural wake and sleep states in mice.

Cortical neurons fire intermittently and synchronously during non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS), in which active and silent periods are referred to as ON and OFF periods, respectively. Neuronal firing rates during ON periods (NREMS-ON-activity) are similar to those of wakefulness (W-activity), raising the possibility that NREMS-ON neuronal-activity is fragmented W-activity. To test this, we investigated the patterning and organization of cortical spike trains and of spike ensembles in neuronal networks using extracellular recordings in mice. Firing rates of neurons during NREMS-ON and W were similar, but showed enhanced bursting in NREMS with no apparent preference in occurrence, relative to the beginning or end of the on-state. Additionally, there was an overall increase in the randomness of occurrence of sequences comprised of multi-neuron ensembles in NREMS recorded from tetrodes. In association with increased burst firing, somatic calcium transients were increased in NREMS. The increased calcium transients associated with bursting during NREM may activate calcium-dependent, cell-signaling pathways for sleep related cellular processes.

Long-range connectivity defines behavioral specificity of amygdala neurons.

Memories are acquired and encoded within large-scale neuronal networks spanning different brain areas. The anatomical and functional specificity of such long-range interactions and their role in learning is poorly understood. The amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are interconnected brain structures involved in the extinction of conditioned fear. Here, we show that a defined subpopulation of basal amygdala (BA) projection neurons targeting the prelimbic (PL) subdivision of mPFC is active during states of high fear, whereas BA neurons targeting the infralimbic (IL) subdivision are recruited, and exhibit cell-type-specific plasticity, during fear extinction. Pathway-specific optogenetic manipulations demonstrate that the activity balance between pathways is causally involved in fear extinction. Together, our findings demonstrate that, although intermingled locally, long-range connectivity defines distinct subpopulations of amygdala projection neurons and indicate that the formation of long-term extinction memories depends on the balance of activity between two defined amygdala-prefrontal pathways.

Synthesis and characterization of 5-octylthieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione derivatives as new monomers for conjugated copolymers.

An efficient route for the synthesis of 1-iodo-5-octyl-4H-thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6(5H)-dione as a key intermediate to build new electron-deficient monomers and related conjugated polymers is reported. Along these lines, two new low bandgap copolymers were synthesized from Stille or Suzuki coupling. These polymers were characterized and their properties compared to those of analogous conjugated polymers.

Amygdala inhibitory circuits and the control of fear memory.

Classical fear conditioning is a powerful behavioral paradigm that is widely used to study the neuronal substrates of learning and memory. Previous studies have clearly identified the amygdala as a key brain structure for acquisition and storage of fear memory traces. Whereas the majority of this work has focused on principal cells and glutamatergic transmission and its plasticity, recent studies have started to shed light on the intricate roles of local inhibitory circuits. Here, we review current understanding and emerging concepts of how local inhibitory circuits in the amygdala control the acquisition, expression, and extinction of conditioned fear at different levels.

Contribution of intrinsic neuronal factors in the generation of cortically driven electrographic seizures.

Some electrographic seizures are generated intracortically. The cellular and ionic bases of cortically generated spontaneous seizures are not fully understood. Here we investigated spontaneously occurring seizures consisting of spike-wave complexes intermingled with fast runs in ketamine-xylazine anesthetized cats, using dual intracellular recordings in which one pipette contained a control solution and another pipette contained blockers of K(+), Na(+), or Ca(2+) currents. We show that closely located neocortical neurons display virtually identical fluctuations of the membrane potential during electrographic seizures, thus directly demonstrating a high degree of focal synchrony during paroxysmal activity. In addition to synaptic drives, the persistent Na(+) current [I(Na(p))] and probably the high-threshold Ca(2+) current contributed to the generation of paroxysmal depolarizing shifts (PDSs) during cortically driven seizures. Ca(2+)-activated K(+) current [I(K(Ca))] took also part in the control of the amplitude and duration of PDSs. The hyperpolarizing components of seizures largely depended on Cs(+)-sensitive K(+) currents. I(K(Ca)) played a significant, while not exclusive, role in the mediation of hyperpolarizing potentials related to EEG "waves" during spike-wave seizures. We conclude that intrinsic cellular factors have significant role in the generation of depolarizing and hyperpolarizing components of seizures.

Neocortical very fast oscillations (ripples, 80-200 Hz) during seizures: intracellular correlates.

Multi-site field potential and intracellular recordings from various neocortical areas were used to study very fast oscillations or ripples (80-200 Hz) during electrographic seizures in cats under ketamine-xylazine anesthesia. The animals displayed spontaneously occurring and electrically induced seizures comprising spike-wave complexes (2-3 Hz) and fast runs (10-20 Hz). Neocortical ripples had much higher amplitudes during seizures than during the slow oscillation preceding the onset of seizures. A series of experimental data from the present study supports the hypothesis that ripples are implicated in seizure initiation. Ripples were particularly strong at the onset of seizures and halothane, which antagonizes the occurrence of ripples, also blocked seizures. The firing of electrophysiologically defined cellular types was phase-locked with ripples in simultaneously recorded field potentials. This indicates that ripples during paroxysmal events are associated with a coordination of firing in a majority of neocortical neurons. This was confirmed with dual intracellular recordings. Based on the amplitude that neocortical ripples reach during paroxysmal events, we propose a mechanism by which neocortical ripples during normal network activity could actively participate in the initiation of seizures on reaching a certain threshold amplitude. This mechanism involves a vicious feedback loop in which very fast oscillations in field potentials are a reflection of synchronous action potentials, and in turn these oscillations help generate and synchronize action potentials in adjacent neurons through electrical interactions.

Electrophysiological properties and input-output organization of callosal neurons in cat association cortex.

Intracellular recordings from association cortical areas 5 and 7 were performed in cats under barbiturate or ketamine-xylazine anesthesia to investigate the activities of different classes of neurons involved in callosal pathways, which were electrophysiologically characterized by depolarizing current steps. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs), inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs), and/or antidromic responses were elicited by stimulating homotopic sites in the contralateral cortical areas. Differential features of EPSPs related to latencies, amplitudes, and slopes were detected in closely located (50 microm or less) neurons recorded in succession along the same electrode track. In contrast to synchronous thalamocortical volleys that excited most neurons within a cortical column, stimuli applied to homotopic sites in the contralateral cortex activated neurons at restricted cortical depths. Median latencies of callosally evoked EPSPs were 1.5 to 4 ms in various cortical cell-classes. Fast-rhythmic-bursting neurons displayed EPSPs whose amplitudes were threefold larger, and latencies two- or threefold shorter, than those found in the three other cellular classes. Converging callosal and thalamic inputs were recorded in the same cortical neuron. EPSPs or IPSPs were elicited by stimulating foci spaced by <1 mm in the contralateral cortex. In the overwhelming majority of neurons, latencies of antidromic responses were between 1.2 and 3.1 ms; however, some callosal neurons had much longer latencies,

Short- and medium-term plasticity associated with augmenting responses in cortical slabs and spindles in intact cortex of cats in vivo.

Plastic changes in the synaptic responsiveness of neocortical neurones, which occur after rhythmic stimuli within the frequency range of sleep spindles (10 Hz), were investigated in isolated neocortical slabs and intact cortex of anaesthetized cats by means of single, dual and triple simultaneous intracellular recordings in conjunction with recordings of local field potential responses. In isolated cortical slabs (10 mm long, 6 mm wide and 4-5 mm deep), augmenting responses to pulse-trains at 10 Hz (responses with growing amplitudes from the second stimulus in a train) were elicited only by relatively high-intensity stimuli. At low intensities, responses were decremental. The largest augmenting responses were evoked in neurones located close to the stimulation site. Quantitative analyses of the number of action potentials and the amplitude and area of depolarization during augmenting responses in a population of neurones recorded from slabs showed that the most dramatic increases in the number of spikes with successive stimuli, and the greatest increase in depolarization amplitude, were found in conventional fast-spiking (FS) neurones. The largest increase in the area of depolarization was found in regular-spiking (RS) neurones. Dual intracellular recordings from a pair of FS and RS neurones in the slab revealed more action potentials in the FS neurone during augmenting responses and a significant increase in the depolarization area of the RS neurone that was dependent on the firing of the FS neurone. Self-sustained seizures could occur in the slab after rhythmic stimuli at 10 Hz. In the intact cortex, repeated sequences of stimuli generating augmenting responses or spontaneous spindles could induce an increased synaptic responsiveness to single stimuli, which lasted for several minutes. A similar time course of increased responsiveness was obtained with induction of cellular plasticity. These data suggest that augmenting responses elicited by stimulation, as well as spontaneously occurring spindles, may induce short- and medium-term plasticity of neuronal responses.

Frequency-selective augmenting responses by short-term synaptic depression in cat neocortex.

Thalamic stimulation at frequencies between 5 and 15 Hz elicits incremental or 'augmenting' cortical responses. Augmenting responses can also be evoked in cortical slices and isolated cortical slabs in vivo. Here we show that a realistic network model of cortical pyramidal cells and interneurones including short-term plasticity of inhibitory and excitatory synapses replicates the main features of augmenting responses as obtained in isolated slabs in vivo. Repetitive stimulation of synaptic inputs at frequencies around 10 Hz produced postsynaptic potentials that grew in size and carried an increasing number of action potentials resulting from the depression of inhibitory synaptic currents. Frequency selectivity was obtained through the relatively weak depression of inhibitory synapses at low frequencies, and strong depression of excitatory synapses together with activation of a calcium-activated potassium current at high frequencies. This network resonance is a consequence of short-term synaptic plasticity in a network of neurones without intrinsic resonances. These results suggest that short-term plasticity of cortical synapses could shape the dynamics of synchronized oscillations in the brain.