Thalamus and Motor Behavior

In this project we study the role of thalamus in motor learning.

Both major cortico-subcortical loops are transferred in the thalamus before they return to the cortex. Excitatory cerebellar as well as inhibitory basal ganglia afferents strongly affect the neuronal activity of thalamus during planning and execution of motor activity. Here we postulate that thalamus is critical not only in the execution but also in the learning of motor patterns. We established a novel motor learning paradigm and study the role of motor thalamus using an optogenetic approach coupled with neuronal recordings in freely moving animals and 2P Ca-imaging and morphological analysis of thalamic neurons using supperresolution and electron microscopy.

Giber et al., 2015.

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