Gilad Silberberg, Cortico-Striatal Microcircuitry Lab.

Publications

Research

The Neocortex and Basal Ganglia are tightly linked to each other via the cortico-striatal pathway. This pathway provides the main excitatory drive to the input nucleus of the basal ganglia, the striatum, and is involved in various motor, cognitive, and emotional functions. In order to understand the functional interactions between these brain regions, it is essential to have a deep knowledge of their underlying microcircuits.

In our lab we study the structural and functional properties of the neocortical and striatal microcircuits, as well the interactions between these two brain areas (cortico-striatal pathway). We use electrophysiological, anatomical, and imaging techniques as well as computer models in order to reveal the intricate organization of neurons and their synaptic connections.

 Key topics in our research of both microcircuits are:   

- The properties and functional role of interneurons, and their interaction with the projection neurons (medium spiny neurons in the striatum, pyramidal neurons in the neocortex).

- Synaptic dynamics and their affect on microcircuit operation.

- Feed-back and feed-forward inhibitory synaptic pathways.

- Short- and long term synaptic plasticity in corticostriatal synapses.

 

Inhibitory pathways in the Neocortex:

     

Fig.1: Disynaptic inhibition in the neocortex. Stimulation of a layer 5 pyramidal cell (PC) evokes disynaptic inhibitory responses in neighboring PCs. These responses are mediated by GABAergic Martinotti cells (Silberberg & Markram, Neuron 2007).

 

 Inhibitory pathways in the Striatum:

           

Fig.2: Inhibitory pathways in the striatum. Example of a simultaneous patch clamp recording from 4 striatal neurons (left). Stimulation of one striatal interneuron (Fast Spiking cell) evokes inhibitory responses in neighboring medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of both direct and indirect projections types (right). These responses are monosynaptic GABAergic IPSPs acting as a feedforward inhibitory pathway (Planert et al, J. Neuroscience 2010).

 

Funding

 

Swedish medical research council (VR-M)

Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP)

Stockholm Brain Institute (SBI)

Åke Wiberg foundation

Magnus Bergvall foundation

Knut & Alice Wallenberg foundation

Network of European Neuroscience Institutes (ENI-net)

Jeanssons Stiftelser

EU FP7 - "Select and Act"