Connection strength and specificity of medium spiny neurons in the mouse striatum

The strength and specificity with which a neuron forms synapses is a fundamental question in evaluating its function. To address this for striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs), Chuhma et al used an optogenetic approach reminiscent of the aforementioned Bardi et al study. First, they bred a mouse that selectively expressed ChR2 in striatal MSNs. Then, they recorded (in [...]

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Functional contacts of adult born olfactory neurons in the mouse

Which cell types are targeted by neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb? To answer this question (among others), Bardi et al. used a optogenetic mouse model selective for adult-born olfactory cells to test various cell types for post-synaptic responsiveness following light stimulation. So if the (randomly chosen) cells in the olfactory bulb slices respond to light, as [...]

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Localization of structural brain atrophy in preclinical Alzheimer’s

Decreases in brain volume seen via MRI are considered to be signs of decreased synapse density, neuron loss, and cell shrinkage. Tondelli et al. hypothesized that healthy subjects who would develop AD by up to 10 years later would show reduced brain volume in certain brain areas in an MRI at baseline. Specifically, via voxel-based morphometry, they [...]

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