Dendritic integration of sensory information in perceptual decision-making
<p>Perceptual decisions require the temporal integration of sensory evidence to a response threshold. How the brain performs this operation is unknown. In fruit flies, expression of the forkhead box P transcription factor (FoxP) in αβ core (αβ<sub>c</sub>) Kenyon cells of the mushr...
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| Format: | Thesis |
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2018
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| _version_ | 1826297415377879040 |
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| author | Groschner, L |
| author2 | Miesenboeck, G |
| author_facet | Miesenboeck, G Groschner, L |
| author_sort | Groschner, L |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <p>Perceptual decisions require the temporal integration of sensory evidence to a response threshold. How the brain performs this operation is unknown. In fruit flies, expression of the forkhead box P transcription factor (FoxP) in αβ core (αβ<sub>c</sub>) Kenyon cells of the mushroom bodies influences decision times in odour discrimination tasks. Flies with a hypomorphic mutation in the <em>FoxP</em> locus take longer to commit to a choice than wild-type flies, especially in difficult tasks.</p> <p>Using calcium imaging and patch clamp electrophysiology <em>in vivo</em>, I investigate how FoxP shapes the biophysical properties of αβ<sub>c</sub> neurons and link these properties to the flies’ olfactory decision-making behaviour. I find that αβ<sub>c</sub> Kenyon cells integrate individual odour-evoked synaptic inputs to action potential threshold at time scales matching the speed of olfactory discrimination. FoxP, by controlling the abundance of the voltage-gated potassium channel Shal (K<sub>V</sub>4) in αβ<sub>c</sub> Kenyon cell dendrites, determines the integrative properties of these neurons and dictates decision times. Targeted expression of dominant-negative or functional Shal in αβ<sub>c</sub> Kenyon cells is sufficient to correct or reproduce, respectively, the <em>FoxP</em> mutant phenotype.</p> <p>Subthreshold dynamics in membrane voltage thus have a previously unrecognised influence on temporal aspects of decision-making.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:31:16Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oxford-uuid:ce65c7e7-f66c-439a-a010-fa5c8f9c2b04 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:31:16Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:ce65c7e7-f66c-439a-a010-fa5c8f9c2b042022-03-27T07:35:20ZDendritic integration of sensory information in perceptual decision-makingThesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_db06uuid:ce65c7e7-f66c-439a-a010-fa5c8f9c2b04ORA Deposit2018Groschner, LMiesenboeck, G<p>Perceptual decisions require the temporal integration of sensory evidence to a response threshold. How the brain performs this operation is unknown. In fruit flies, expression of the forkhead box P transcription factor (FoxP) in αβ core (αβ<sub>c</sub>) Kenyon cells of the mushroom bodies influences decision times in odour discrimination tasks. Flies with a hypomorphic mutation in the <em>FoxP</em> locus take longer to commit to a choice than wild-type flies, especially in difficult tasks.</p> <p>Using calcium imaging and patch clamp electrophysiology <em>in vivo</em>, I investigate how FoxP shapes the biophysical properties of αβ<sub>c</sub> neurons and link these properties to the flies’ olfactory decision-making behaviour. I find that αβ<sub>c</sub> Kenyon cells integrate individual odour-evoked synaptic inputs to action potential threshold at time scales matching the speed of olfactory discrimination. FoxP, by controlling the abundance of the voltage-gated potassium channel Shal (K<sub>V</sub>4) in αβ<sub>c</sub> Kenyon cell dendrites, determines the integrative properties of these neurons and dictates decision times. Targeted expression of dominant-negative or functional Shal in αβ<sub>c</sub> Kenyon cells is sufficient to correct or reproduce, respectively, the <em>FoxP</em> mutant phenotype.</p> <p>Subthreshold dynamics in membrane voltage thus have a previously unrecognised influence on temporal aspects of decision-making.</p> |
| spellingShingle | Groschner, L Dendritic integration of sensory information in perceptual decision-making |
| title | Dendritic integration of sensory information in perceptual decision-making |
| title_full | Dendritic integration of sensory information in perceptual decision-making |
| title_fullStr | Dendritic integration of sensory information in perceptual decision-making |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dendritic integration of sensory information in perceptual decision-making |
| title_short | Dendritic integration of sensory information in perceptual decision-making |
| title_sort | dendritic integration of sensory information in perceptual decision making |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT groschnerl dendriticintegrationofsensoryinformationinperceptualdecisionmaking |