HEИндивидуална стипендия2023–2025

EmotionObjectCoding · Investigation of affective input during object encoding in the perirhinal cortex

„Хоризонт Европа“ — Действия „Мария Склодовска-Кюри“

Период: 2023-05-01 → 2025-04-30
Финансиране от ЕС: 226 751 €
Участници: 1
Схема: HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF

Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.

Накратко на български

Връзката между емоциите и възприемането на обекти в мозъка се анализира чрез проследяване на невронната активност при различни състояния. Това помага за разбирането на формирането на паметта и на разстройства като посттравматично стресово разстройство.

Този кратък обзор е генериран от изкуствен интелект

Кратко обяснение, генерирано от езиков модел по текста на CORDIS. Оригиналът е по-долу.

Резултати накратко

Investigation of affective input during object encoding in the perirhinal cortex

EmotionObjectCoding was a project aimed to advance our understanding of how affective input modulates sensory information processing in the brain, initially focused on how the basolateral amygdala (BLA) influences sensory encoding via its interactions with the perirhinal cortex (PER). Despite the challenges encountered, the project made significant progress in the characterization of object encoding in the PER, particularly in the context of emotionally neutral stimuli. Using in-vivo electrophysiology (Neuropixel 1.0 and later 2.0), behavioral paradigms based on whisker deflection, high-speed video recording, and locomotion sensors, we identified novel patterns of PER activity that vary with behavioral state (e.g., stillness vs. locomotion). These findings revealed that behavioral state is processed differently in primary sensory cortices (such as somatosensory and auditory cortices) compared to associative regions like the PER and temporal association area (TeA), which display distinct encoding strategies more reflective of internal state or higher-order processing. Furthermore, the project corroborated long-standing in-vitro findings showing poor information transfer from the PER to the ERC—an observation we now validated in-vivo through recordings during sensory stimulation. These results suggest that emotional valence, rather than sensory features alone, may be a critical factor for facilitating neural communication between cortical association areas and downstream regions, such as the Entorhinal cortex (ERC). This is particularly important in the context of understanding the neural basis of memory formation and could inform future studies on neuropsychiatric conditions in which these processes are disrupted or are maladapted, such as in the case of PTSD. The scale and impact of the project are evidenced by two upcoming manuscripts: one as first author and one as co-author. These publications are expected to advance research in the PER, providing a valuable information of sensory information processing on this region, and what features are encoded in the activity of individual neurons. Additionally, the project laid the groundwork for the integration of positive and negative valence in future experiments in the host laboratory, particularly in the context of operant conditioning paradigms. This will further refine our understanding of how emotional relevance gates information transfer in cortico-hippocampal circuits. In summary, the project provides novel mechanistic insight into the contextual modulation of sensory information processing and opens new avenues for exploring the affective gating of memory formation.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз

Цел на проекта

In our everyday life, we ascribe certain emotional value to some objects. More specifically, we ascribe a valence to some objects, which is the degree to which something can be pleasurable or averse, leading to an emotional response when we interact or remember them. In the act of learning and remembering an object, the brain executes a complex set of operations, integrating multiple sensory inputs (vision, smell, touch, sound, etc.) and the corresponding valence of the object to generate a unique mental representation, used to recognize and distinguish one object from another. This is known as object encoding. There is plenty of evidence linking the activity of the main hubs of emotional information processing (Amygdalar nuclei) and object encoding in the brain (perirhinal cortex), but a precise description of how notions of valence are incorporated during object encoding, have not been investigated, in part due to the technical challenges involved. EmotionObjectCoding will make use of Neuropixel, a powerful and new technology, enabling for the first time, the recording of population-level activity with high temporal resolution. This approach will be complemented with in vitro electrophysiological and optogenetic tools, providing a precise description of the neural circuits involved in the incorporation of valence during object encoding. Taken together, these innovative methods, will provide the groundwork for developing new hypothesis for the role of affective input during object encoding. Furthermore, this project will contribute to create a clearer picture about how our emotional well-being affects other important cognitive processes such as learning and potentially, disorders such as PTSD and Alzheimer’s disease.

Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).

Участници

NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU · TrondheimКоординаторНорвегия