Anja Gundlfinger (Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Switzerland)

The Bernstein Center Freiburg

Bernstein Seminar

Anja Gundlfinger

Department of Neurophysiology
Brain Research Institute
University of Zurich, Switzerland

 

Synaptic, cellular and network dynamics
of hippocampal principal cells

Abstract:
The mammalian hippocampal formation is crucially involved in both learning and memory processes as well as important aspects of spatial navigation. The underlying coding mechanisms can be found on levels ranging from synaptic, over cellular, towards network dynamics. Based on recent experimental results, I will focus this talk on the following interrelated aspects of hippocampal synaptic and neuronal dynamics, using electrophysiological, modelling and two-photon calcium imaging approaches:

Synapses can be largely plastic showing pronounced reversible (short-term plasticity) or persistent (long-term plasticity) changes in their synaptic strength as a result of repeated stimulation. These synaptic dynamics constantly modulate and shape the way a neuronal network processes incoming information and therefore are major determinants of network function. First, I will present subcellular parameters that shape the expression of short-term plasticity at the hippocampal mossy fiber synapse in vitro and introduce a model description incorporating the relevant timescales of dynamics. Second, I will outline how these dynamics are expressed under physiologically relevant input spike statistics gained from in vivo extracellular recordings of behaving animals. And finally, I will present an outlook on investigations of network dynamics of hippocampal principle cells in vivo in different oscillatory states through two-photon calcium imaging using an ultra-fast laser-scanning microscope.

Host: Ulrich Egert