"Role of neuronal ensembles and pattern completion in perception" by Rafael Yuste

Hosted by the WWN seminar series "IST Neuroscience".

Abstract:
The design of neural circuits, with large numbers of neurons interconnected in vast networks, strongly suggest that they are specifically build to generate emergent functional properties. To explore this hypothesis, we have developed two-photon holographic methods to selective image and manipulate the activity of neuronal populations in 3D in vivo. Using them we find that groups of synchronous neurons (neuronal ensembles) dominate the evoked and spontaneous activity of mouse primary visual cortex. Ensembles can be optogenetically imprinted for several days and some of their neurons trigger the entire ensemble. By activating these pattern completion cells in ensembles involved in visual discrimination paradigms, we can bi-directionally alter behavioural choices. Our results demonstrate that ensembles are necessary and sufficient for visual perception and are consistent with the possibility that neuronal ensembles are the functional building blocks of cortical circuits.