Representation of context In mouse prefrontal cortex during flexible behaviour

The aim of this study is to investigate how neural assemblies in the mouse prefrontal cortex differ when attending to visual stimuli that are either behaviourally relevant or irrelevant, with a particular focus on activation of different interneuron subclasses. By recording activity in neuronal populations as mice perform a task requiring flexible behavior, attending to and ignoring stimuli of different modalities based on what has previously proved effective, we hope to model the changes in network activity necessary to change strategies when the current strategy is shown to be ineffective. The study will compare stimulus selectivity and activity changes over learning in three major subclasses of interneurons, as well as pyramidal cells, in the two major regions identified as functionally representative of the human medial prefrontal cortex, the prelimbic and infralimbic cortices. I will also investigate how stimulus selectivity and learning dependent changes in the ensemble firing of these neurons differs based on their projection targets, such as those that target specific interneuron subclasses in V1. I am planning to investigate this via the use of:
- Calcium imaging via virally-transfected or genetically-encoded optical sensors
- Optogenetic/pharmacological inactivation of specific areas and neuron subclasses
- Studies of anatomical localization and projections using viral tracers, post-hoc analysis using immunohistochemistry and confocal imaging