Davide REATO, from the Neurosciences Institute of La Timone, will give a seminar entitled “Toward a mechanistic framework for electrical brain stimulation across scales” on Friday June 12th at 9h30 in Pierre Cotton Room (level -1 of Institut Fresnel).
Abstract : Brain stimulation is a central tool for establishing causal links between neural activity and behavior and forms the basis of several therapeutic interventions for neurological and psychiatric disorders. Electrical stimulation is particularly important because it is clinically established, compatible with chronic and closed-loop use, and can be applied both invasively and noninvasively. Despite this, we still lack predictive frameworks that connect stimulation parameters to their effects on neural dynamics across scales. This gap limits our ability to optimize protocols and make their outcomes more precise, reliable, and interpretable.
He will present work spanning single-neuron biophysics, population-level dynamics, and behavior. Starting from the basic mechanisms by which electric fields affect neurons, He will show how in vitro experiments and computational modeling reveal that the effects of electricity on a single neuron are amplified at the population level. He will then describe the in vivo platform he is developing in mice to study how stimulation shapes behavior, including transparent, flexible electrode arrays designed for simultaneous electrical stimulation and artifact-free optical imaging. Finally, he will outline a plan to integrate multiple imaging modalities, from two-photon calcium and voltage to cortex-wide and potentially deep-tissue techniques, to identify behaviorally relevant targets for electrical stimulation of the cortical surface and to record its effects across spatial and temporal scales. The goal is to build a mechanistic framework that specifies not only where current should be delivered, but also which cortical dynamics it should recruit and when those dynamics are likely to influence behavior. This framework would provide the foundation for closed-loop stimulation systems that adapt to ongoing neural dynamics in real time.
He will present work spanning single-neuron biophysics, population-level dynamics, and behavior. Starting from the basic mechanisms by which electric fields affect neurons, He will show how in vitro experiments and computational modeling reveal that the effects of electricity on a single neuron are amplified at the population level. He will then describe the in vivo platform he is developing in mice to study how stimulation shapes behavior, including transparent, flexible electrode arrays designed for simultaneous electrical stimulation and artifact-free optical imaging. Finally, he will outline a plan to integrate multiple imaging modalities, from two-photon calcium and voltage to cortex-wide and potentially deep-tissue techniques, to identify behaviorally relevant targets for electrical stimulation of the cortical surface and to record its effects across spatial and temporal scales. The goal is to build a mechanistic framework that specifies not only where current should be delivered, but also which cortical dynamics it should recruit and when those dynamics are likely to influence behavior. This framework would provide the foundation for closed-loop stimulation systems that adapt to ongoing neural dynamics in real time.
Invitation : Thomas Chaigne for Imaging Theme
