Journal: bioRxiv

Article Title: Cell-Type-Specific Bidirectional Modulation of the Cortico–Thalamo–Cortical Sensory Pathway by Transcranial Focused Ultrasound (tFUS)

doi: 10.64898/2026.03.23.713540

Figure Lengend Snippet: Experimental setup and ultrasound parameter. (A) Experimental setup of intracranial electrodes for recording multi-region signals, optical fiber for activating specific type of neurons and 128-element random array ultrasound transducer. The 64-channel optrode was inserted into left somatosensory cortex (S1) and 32-channel electrode was inserted into left posteromedial of the thalamus (POm). Vibration-tactile stimulation was applied to the right hind paw. (B) Ultrasound parameters used in this study. The inter-sonication interval (ISI) was set at 2.5s with 10% jitter to avoid neuronal adaptation to fixed ISI. Ultrasound duration (UD) was set at 100ms with vibration stimulation or 67ms for tFUS only. Pulse repetitive frequencies (PRFs) and duty cycles (DCs) tested in this study were 30Hz with 0.6%DC and 3000Hz with 60% DC. Pulse durations (PD) were calculated by PRF*DCs. (C-D) Ex-vivo hydrophone peak-to-peak pressure amplitude z-axis (upper) and y-axis (bottom) scan at the estimated targeted brain region with low pressure (C, ∼98kPa) and high pressure (D, ∼163kPa).

Article Snippet: A 64-channel Optrode (A1×64-Edge-6mm-22.5-177-OXA64LP, Neuronexus, Ann Arbor, MI, USA) was inserted into S1 from the left side (angle: 40°) to make sure the signals were recorded from the virus injection site.

Techniques: Sonication, Ex Vivo

Journal: Nature Communications

Article Title: A hypothalamic-thalamostriatal circuit that controls approach-avoidance conflict in rats

doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22730-y

Figure Lengend Snippet: a Timeline of the approach-avoidance conflict test during single-unit recordings from photoidentified aPVT CRF neurons. b Diagram showing the injection of viral mix containing AAV-CRF-Cre and AAV-ChR2-DIO, and the implantation of optrode in aPVT. c – e Photoidentification of aPVT CRF neurons. c Representative aPVT CRF neuron responsive to laser illumination ( Z -score >3.29, P < 0.001, red dotted line, see details in Methods). d Cells with photoresponse latencies <12 ms were classified as aPVT CRF neurons (black bars, n = 26 out of 96 recorded neurons), whereas cells with photoresponse latencies >12 ms (white bars, n = 5 neurons) or non-responsive to the laser ( n = 65 neurons, not shown) were classified as non-identified aPVT neurons (aPVT non-ident , n = 70 out of 96 recorded neurons). e Raster plot and firing rate of a representative aPVT CRF neuron responding to a 5 Hz train of laser stimulation. Inset: Raster plot and firing rate time-locked for laser onset. Vertical blue bars: laser onset. Bins of 1 ms. f Relative frequency histogram showing the baseline firing rate of aPVT CRF neurons and aPVT non-identif neurons. g (Top) Schematic of the food-cue-evoked responses. (Bottom) Percentage of aPVT CRF and aPVT non-ident neurons that were responsive to food cues (green bars) before (left) and during the conflict (right). aPVT CRF neurons showed more food-cue responses during the conflict test, when compared to aPVT non-ident neurons (Fisher’s exact test; aPVT CRF neurons: 39%, 10 out of 26; aPVT non-ident neurons: 15%, 11 out of 70 neurons, P = 0.039). h – i Average peristimulus time histograms of all photoidentified aPVT CRF neurons showing h excitatory or i inhibitory food-cue responses during the conflict (red or blue bars, respectively) or the same neurons before the conflict (gray bars). j (Top) Schematic of the spontaneous activity recordings. (Bottom) Percentage of aPVT CRF and aPVT non-ident neurons that changed their baseline spontaneous activity (30 s pre vs. 30 s post) exclusively in food-seeking phase, cat odor phase, conflict phase (30 min), in more than one phase (nonselective), or did not change. No differences were observed between the two groups (Fisher’s exact test, all P ’s > 0.05). k (Top) Schematic of the recordings during lever presses-evoked responses. (Bottom) Percentage of aPVT CRF and aPVT non-ident neurons that were responsive to lever presses (pink bars) before the conflict phase. l (Top) Schematic of the recordings during dish-entry-evoked responses. (Bottom) Percentage of aPVT CRF and aPVT non-ident neurons that were responsive to rewarded dish entries (orange bars) before the conflict phase. No differences were observed between the two groups (Fisher’s exact test, all P ’s > 0.05). A total of eight rats were used.

Article Snippet: For photoidentification of aPVT CRF neurons, an optrode array (32 channels, 200 nm core, Bio-Signal) was implanted at the same coordinates described above.

Techniques: Injection, Activity Assay

Journal: Brain Stimulation

Article Title: Selective optogenetic stimulation of efferent fibers in the vagus nerve of a large mammal

doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.11.010

Figure Lengend Snippet: Optogenetic stimulation and properties of vagal preganglionic neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (DVMN) in rats. ( a ) Photomicrographs of the coronal sections of the rat brainstem taken at low (top left) and high (bottom left) magnification illustrating representative examples of ChIEF-tdTomato expression in the DVMN (Bregma level: −13.8 mm). Neurons display specific membrane localization of the transgene expression. The image on the right illustrates DVMN neuronal projections expressing ChIEF-tdTomato visualized in a whole mount preparation of the right cervical vagus nerve. Solid arrows point at the projecting axons of the transduced DVMN neurons; open arrows point at severed neuronal processes within the nucleus; broken while lines outline transduced DVMN neurons. CC, central canal. VN, vagus nerve. XII, hypoglossal motor nucleus. Scale bars: 200 μm (top left), 20 μm (bottom left), 500 μm (right). ( b ) Schematic drawing of the experimental setup in an anaesthetized rat instrumented for stimulation of the DVMN neurons expressing ChIEF-tdTomato by application of blue laser light (via an implanted optrode) and recording of the efferent activity of the vagus nerve at the cervical level. ( c ) Stimulus-triggered averages and ( d ) rectified and smoothed averages (300 sweeps) of the evoked efferent vagus nerve mass action potentials induced by pulses of light of increasing duration delivered at 1 Hz to stimulate the DVMN vagal preganglionic neurons expressing ChIEF-tdTomato (n = 4).

Article Snippet: For optical stimulation, laser light (445 nm) was delivered to the dorsal brainstem surface via an optrode with a diameter of 0.2 mm (Art Photonics, Berlin, Germany).

Techniques: Expressing, Membrane, Activity Assay

Journal: Molecular Psychiatry

Article Title: Insulin-like growth factor I mitigates post-traumatic stress by inhibiting AMP-kinase in orexin neurons

doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01442-9

Figure Lengend Snippet: A-F Representative micrographs of triple immunostaining of Vglut2 (pseudo-color in red with Alexa Fluor 647), Vgat (green with Alexa Fluor 488), and orexin (pseudo-color in white Alexa Fluor 594) in lateral hypothalamus of control ( A-C ) and Firoc ( D-F ) mice revealed a significantly decreased number of Vglut2 puncta together with increased Vgat puncta onto orexin neurons ( n = 100 orexin neurons/mouse, 3 mice per group; *** p < 0.001; Mann Whitney U Test). B , E 3D representation of an orexin neuron (from the inset in A and D ) using Imaris software. C , F , Surface area of the same orexin neurons shown in B and E showing Vglut (red points) and Vgat spots (green points). G Percentage of Vglut2 spots in orexin neurons from each experimental group ( n = 100 orexin neurons/mouse, 3 mice per group, *** p < 0.001; Mann Whitney U Test). H Percentage of Vgat spots ( n = 100 orexin neurons/mouse, 3 mice per group; *** p < 0.001; Mann Whitney U Test). I Excitatory/ inhibitory ratio ( E / I) is significantly decreased in Firoc mice ( n = 100 orexin neurons/mouse, 3 mice per group); *** p < 0.001; Mann Whitney U Test. Scale bars in A and D : 100 μm, and in B , C , E and F : 15 μm. J A cartoon showing the intracranial localization of the electrode of stimulation in LPO (inhibitory inputs) and the optrode (optogenetic blue LED + Tungsten recording electrode) used to identify orexinergic cells in the LH/PeF area. K Unitary activity of orexinergic neurons in Or-ChR and Firoc-ChR animals. BLUE light pulses elicited 0.9 ± 0.22 spikes/50 ms in orexinergic neurons of Control-ChR mice, and 1.1 ± 0.19 spikes/50 ms in orexin neurons of Firoc-ChR mice ( n = 11, and n = 14, respectively). Thus, orexin neurons of Control-ChR and Firoc-ChR do not display differences in basal conditions ( p = 0.7299). However, after LPO stimulation (inhibitory inputs) and optogenetic activation, control-ChR mice show a 13% inhibition (0.78 ± 0.19 spikes/50 ms; p = 0.1135), whereas Firoc-ChR display a 31% inhibition (0.76 ± 0.12 spikes/50 ms; ** p < 0.01; sex balanced, Two-way RM ANOVA, Sidak’s Multiple comparison tests). Scale bars in A and D : 100 μm, and in B , C , E and F : 15 μm.

Article Snippet: An optrode (Optical fiber + Tungsten microelectrode of 0.5–0.8 MΩ, with a core diameter 120 μm; Thomas Recording) was used to record the evoked potential in the LH/PeF area (coordinates from Bregma: A,−1.95; L, 1.0 and depth, 4.0–4.5 mm).

Techniques: Triple Immunostaining, Control, MANN-WHITNEY, Software, Activity Assay, Activation Assay, Inhibition, Comparison