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Inertial sensors are increasingly used in rodent research, in particular for estimating head orientation relative to gravity, or head tilt. Despite this growing interest, the accuracy of tilt estimates computed from rodent head inertial data has never been assessed. Using readily available inertial measurement units mounted onto the head of freely moving rats, we benchmarked a set of tilt estimation methods against concurrent 3D optical motion capture. We show that, while low-pass filtered head acceleration signals only provided reliable tilt estimates in static conditions, sensor calibration combined with an appropriate choice of orientation filter and parameters could yield average tilt estimation errors below 1.5∘ during movement. We then illustrate an application of inertial head tilt measurements in a preclinical rat model of unilateral vestibular lesion and propose a set of metrics describing the severity of associated postural and motor symptoms and the time course of recovery. We conclude that headborne inertial sensors are an attractive tool for quantitative rodent behavioral analysis in general and for the study of vestibulo-postural functions in particular.

Dissecting neural circuitry in non-human primates (NHP) is crucial to identify potential neuromodulation anatomical targets for the treatment of pharmacoresistant neuropsychiatric diseases by electrical neuromodulation. How targets of deep brain stimulation (DBS) and cortical targets of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) compare and might complement one another is an important question. Combining optogenetics and tractography may enable anatomo-functional characterization of large brain cortico-subcortical neural pathways. For the proof-of-concept this approach was used in the NHP brain to characterize the motor cortico-subthalamic pathway (m_CSP) which might be involved in DBS action mechanism in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Rabies-G-pseudotyped and Rabies-G-VSVg-pseudotyped EIAV lentiviral vectors encoding the opsin ChR2 gene were stereotaxically injected into the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and were retrogradely transported to the layer of the motor cortex projecting to STN. A precise anatomical mapping of this pathway was then performed using histology-guided high angular resolution MRI tractography guiding accurately cortical photostimulation of m_CSP origins. Photoexcitation of m_CSP axon terminals or m_CSP cortical origins modified the spikes distribution for photosensitive STN neurons firing rate in non-equivalent ways. Optogenetic tractography might help design preclinical neuromodulation studies in NHP models of neuropsychiatric disease choosing the most appropriate target for the tested hypothesis.

Optogenetic neuromodulation techniques, which have emerged during the last 15 years, have considerably enhanced our ability to probe the functioning of neural circuits by allowing the excitation and inhibition of genetically-defined neuronal populations using light. Having gained tremendous popularity in the field of fundamental neuroscience, these techniques are now opening new therapeutic avenues. Optogenetic neuromodulation is a method of choice for studying the physiopathology of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders in a range of animal models, and could accelerate the discovery of new therapeutic strategies. New therapeutic protocols employing optogenetic neuromodulation may also emerge in the near future, offering promising alternative approaches for disorders which lack appropriate treatments, such as pharmacoresistant epilepsy and inherited retinal degeneration.

Une grande partie des progrès de la biologie est indissociable de l’évolution de la biophotonique, terme générique désignant l’utilisation de la lumière dans l’étude des systèmes vivants. Au cours des quinze dernières années, la biophotonique s’est peu à peu mariée à la génétique moléculaire pour donner naissance à l’optogénétique, un ensemble de techniques qui permettent l’étude fonctionnelle par voie optique de populations, compartiments ou processus cellulaires ciblés génétiquement. En neuroscience, l’optogénétique permet aujourd’hui d’observer et de contrôler en temps réel l’activité de populations neuronales spécifiques dans de nombreux modèles animaux. Cette avancée technique majeure apporte un degré de sophistication inédit aux méthodes expérimentales employées en neurosciences fondamentales, offrant ainsi la possibilité d’accroître considérablement notre pouvoir d’analyse des circuits neuronaux.

Serotonin is implicated in mood and affective disorders. However, growing evidence suggests that a core endogenous role is to promote flexible adaptation to changes in the causal structure of the environment, through behavioral inhibition and enhanced plasticity. We used long-term photometric recordings in mice to study a population of dorsal raphe serotonin neurons, whose activity we could link to normal reversal learning using pharmacogenetics. We found that these neurons are activated by both positive and negative prediction errors, and thus report signals similar to those proposed to promote learning in conditions of uncertainty. Furthermore, by comparing the cue responses of serotonin and dopamine neurons, we found differences in learning rates that could explain the importance of serotonin in inhibiting perseverative responding. Our findings show how the activity patterns of serotonin neurons support a role in cognitive flexibility, and suggest a revised model of dopamine–serotonin opponency with potential clinical implications. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20552.001, eLife digest Serotonin is a molecule that plays various roles in the human body. In the brain, it is involved in regulating mood and emotions. Growing evidence suggests that serotonin also helps animals – including humans – adapt their behavior to changes in their environment. To allow for such behavioral flexibility, serotonin might promote changes in the underlying brain structures and activity. In a type of learning known as ‘reversal learning’, for instance, it is necessary to adapt to a sudden change in a previously familiar environment. For example, if there were a road closure on a person’s way to work, they might want to learn to stop following their usual route and learn a new and better one. Previous research has shown that when serotonin signaling is reduced, people persevere. That is, they will keep following the old route even if it is no longer the best choice. How this process works is still largely unknown. To start unraveling these mechanisms, Matias et al. trained mice in a reversal learning task while manipulating and recording the activity of the neurons that produce serotonin. The results showed that when the activity in serotonin neurons was experimentally blocked, the mice tended to keep looking for a reward that was no longer available. Then, by recording the activity of serotonin neurons, Matias et al. found that it was the surprise of discovering a change in a previously familiar environment that activates serotonin neurons. It did not matter whether the change was better or worse than expected. The findings suggest that together with dopamine, another molecule involved in learning from rewards, serotonin could play an important role during reversal learning. One next step will be to determine if serotonin mainly stops perseverance in its tracks, or whether it works by helping to unlearn the old behavior, or a combination of both. In the future, this could further our understanding of depression, which can be viewed as a disorder characterized by patients being unable to adapt to adverse situations, leaving them trapped to repeat behaviors and thoughts that are not beneficial. Future studies could also build on these findings to guide the development of new treatments for depression that involve serotonin. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20552.002

Optogenetic neuromodulation techniques, which have emerged during the last 15 years, have considerably enhanced our ability to probe the functioning of neural circuits by allowing the excitation and inhibition of genetically-defined neuronal populations using light. Having gained tremendous popularity in the field of fundamental neuroscience, these techniques are now opening new therapeutic avenues. Optogenetic neuromodulation is a method of choice for studying the physiopathology of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders in a range of animal models, and could accelerate the discovery of new therapeutic strategies. New therapeutic protocols employing optogenetic neuromodulation may also emerge in the near future, offering promising alternative approaches for disorders which lack appropriate treatments, such as pharmacoresistant epilepsy and inherited retinal degeneration.

Numerous achievements in biology have resulted from the evolution of biophotonics, a general term describing the use of light in the study of living systems. Over the last fifteen years, biophotonics has progressively blended with molecular genetics to give rise to optogenetics, a set of techniques enabling the functional study of genetically-defined cellular populations, compartments or processes with optical methods. In neuroscience, optogenetics allows real-time monitoring and control of the activity of specific neuronal populations in a wide range of animal models. This technical breakthrough provides a new level of sophistication in experimental approaches in the field of fundamental neuroscience, significantly enhancing our ability to understand the complexity of neuronal circuits.

International audience; Organization of behavior requires rapid coordination of brainstem and forebrain activity. The exact mechanisms of effective communication between these regions are presently unclear. The intralaminar thalamic nuclei (IL) probably serves as a central hub in this circuit by connecting the critical brainstem and forebrain areas. We found that GABAergic and glycinergic fibers ascending from the pontine reticular formation (PRF) of the brainstem evoked fast and reliable inhibition in the IL via large, multisynaptic terminals. This inhibition was fine-tuned through heterogeneous GABAergic and glycinergic receptor ratios expressed at individual synapses. Optogenetic activation of PRF axons in the IL of freely moving mice led to behavioral arrest and transient interruption of awake cortical activity. An afferent system with comparable morphological features was also found in the human IL. These data reveal an evolutionarily conserved ascending system that gates forebrain activity through fast and powerful synaptic inhibition of the IL.