Establishing an Optogenetics Cognitive Behavioural Suite

光遗传学技术的使用正在迅速改变神经科学领域。光遗传学是一种技术，允许研究人员通过应用短脉冲光来操纵非常特定的神经元亚型（例如，使大脑化学物质乙酰胆碱的神经元）的活动，以抑制或激发它们的活动。通过这样做，我们作为一个领域，正在获得比以往任何时候都更多的关于这些神经元类型的特定功能的信息。从理论上讲，现在有可能操纵特定的神经通路，改变动物的认知和行为。例如，在我的实验室里，我们研究决策过程中的基本认知过程。以前，我们一直局限于使用药理学技术来操纵认知过程，这些技术虽然信息量很大，但在效果的特异性和时间方面受到限制;这些技术不能针对特定的神经元亚型，并且在几分钟到几小时内起作用。光遗传学克服了这一障碍，并允许对特定神经元信号通路中的神经元进行毫秒到毫秒的控制。虽然这项技术可以应用于许多感兴趣的问题，但我们的初步调查将研究我们的“认知努力”任务中的一个有趣发现。在这项任务中，老鼠可以选择尝试发现一个非常短暂的刺激（这会消耗它们的注意力），以获得更大的奖励，或者检测一个持续时间为5倍的刺激，因此更容易看到，以获得更小的奖励。我们以前的出版物已经确定了老鼠种群中的亚群，那些倾向于“工作者”（选择困难的选项）或“懒汉”（选择容易的选项）。老鼠是工作者还是懒汉可能取决于一个特定的大脑区域：前边缘皮层。使用光遗传学技术，我们可以调节前边缘皮层内神经元亚型的活动，使我们能够研究这个大脑区域如何影响认知努力任务的注意力和决策。光遗传学正迅速成为动物可逆脑操作的黄金标准。获得这项技术将有助于使我实验室的学生在就业市场和申请资助方面具有竞争力。

The use of optogenetic technology is rapidly changing the field of neuroscience. Optogenetics is a technique that allows the researcher to manipulate the activity of very specific subtypes of neurons (e.g. neurons that make the brain chemical acetylcholine) by applying short bursts of light in order to inhibit or excite their activity. By doing this, we as a field, are getting more information than ever on the specific functions of these neuron types. It is theoretically now possible to manipulate specific neuronal pathways and alter an animal's cognition and behaviour. For example, in my laboratory, we study basic cognitive processes involved in decision-making. Previously we have been limited to manipulating cognitive processes using pharmacological techniques, which while very informative, are limited in terms of the specificity and timing of effects; these techniques cannot target particular neuronal subtypes, and act over minutes to hours. Optogenetics overcomes this obstacle and allows millisecond-to-millisecond control over neurons within particular neuronal signalling pathways. While this technology could be applied to many questions of interest, our initial investigations will examine an interesting finding from our 'cognitive effort' task. In this task, rats have a choice between trying to spot a very brief stimulus (which taxes their attentional abilities) in order to earn a larger reward, or detecting a stimulus that lasts five times as long, and is therefore a much easier to see, in order to earn a smaller reward. Our previous publications have identified subgroups within the rat population, those that tend to be 'workers' (choosing the hard option) or 'slackers' (choosing the easy option). Whether a rat is a worker or slacker may depend on a specific brain region: the prelimbic cortex. Using optogenetic technology we can modulate activity in subtypes of neurons within the prelimbic cortex, allowing us to examine how this brain area influences attention and decision making on the cognitive effort task. Optogenetics is quickly becoming the gold standard for reversible brain manipulations in animals. Acquiring this technology will help to make the students of my laboratory as competitive as they can be in the job marketplace and in grant applications.