Fig. 7: Optogenetic activation of L6CT neurons enhances VPm sensory responses.
From: Dynamic corticothalamic modulation of the somatosensory thalamocortical circuit during wakefulness
a The effect of L6CT neuronal activation on sensory responses in VPm is measured from recordings of neuronal spiking in the VPm while concurrently deflecting a single whisker for somatosensory input and increasing optogenetic activation of L6CT neurons in awake, NTSR1-Cre mice. b Raster plots of an example VPm neuron’s sensory response with concurrent optogenetic activation of L6CT neurons at 0, 8, and 30 mW/mm². This neuron’s ongoing spiking activity is bidirectionally modulated and its stimulus-evoked response to sawtooth, somatosensory input is enhanced by increasing optogenetic activation of L6CT neurons. The right panel is an expanded view of the same neuron’s sensory response. c PSTHs of the same neuron’s spiking in (b). Note the change in the vertical scale in the right and left views due to differing bin sizes. d Grand PSTHs of the VPm neuron population’s sensory response with concurrent optogenetic activation of L6CT neurons at 0, 8, and 30 mW/mm² (mean +/− sem across neurons; n = 65 neurons). The population’s ongoing activity is bidirectionally modulated, but the stimulus-evoked response is enhanced by increasing optogenetic activation of L6CT neurons. The right panel is an expanded view of the same population’s sensory response. Note the change in the vertical scale in the right and left views. e Optogenetic activation of L6CT neurons increases the mean, baseline-subtracted, stimulus-evoked response of the VPm population contributing to the PSTHs in d (+/− sem; n = 65 neurons; 4 mW/mm²: p = 8.0e−3; 8 mW/mm²: p = 9.7e−4; 16 mW/mm²: p = 3.7e−4; 24 mW/mm²: p = 1.3e−5; 30 mW/mm²: p = 9.5e−5; p-value indicates pairwise comparison to No LED condition using the two-sided Wilcoxon signed rank test with a Bonferroni correction; * indicates p < 1.0e−2; ** indicates p < 2.0e−3; *** indicates p < 2.0e−4).
