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Lohse M, King AJ, Willmore BDB. Subcortical origin of nonlinear sound encoding in auditory cortex. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3405-3415.e5. [PMID: 39032492 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
A major challenge in neuroscience is to understand how neural representations of sensory information are transformed by the network of ascending and descending connections in each sensory system. By recording from neurons at several levels of the auditory pathway, we show that much of the nonlinear encoding of complex sounds in auditory cortex can be explained by transformations in the midbrain and thalamus. Modeling cortical neurons in terms of their inputs across these subcortical populations enables their responses to be predicted with unprecedented accuracy. By contrast, subcortical responses cannot be predicted from descending cortical inputs, indicating that ascending transformations are irreversible, resulting in increasingly lossy, higher-order representations across the auditory pathway. Rather, auditory cortex selectively modulates the nonlinear aspects of thalamic auditory responses and the functional coupling between subcortical neurons without affecting the linear encoding of sound. These findings reveal the fundamental role of subcortical transformations in shaping cortical responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lohse
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, London W1T 4JG, UK; Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.
| | - Ben D B Willmore
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.
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2
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Zhang D, Wei Y. Distinct Neural Mechanisms Between Anesthesia Induction and Emergence: A Narrative Review. Anesth Analg 2024:00000539-990000000-00840. [PMID: 38861419 DOI: 10.1213/ane.0000000000007114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Anesthesia induction and emergence are critical periods for perioperative safety in the clinic. Traditionally, the emergence from general anesthesia has been recognized as a simple inverse process of induction resulting from the elimination of general anesthetics from the central nervous system. However, accumulated evidence has indicated that anesthesia induction and emergence are not mirror-image processes because of the occurrence of hysteresis/neural inertia in both animals and humans. An increasing number of studies have highlighted the critical role of orexinergic neurons and their involved circuits in the selective regulation of emergence but not the induction of general anesthesia. Moreover, additional brain regions have also been implicated in distinct neural mechanisms for anesthesia induction and emergence, which extends the concept that anesthetic induction and emergence are not antiparallel processes. Here, we reviewed the current literature and summarized the evidence regarding the differential mechanism of neural modulation in anesthesia induction and emergence, which will facilitate the understanding of the underlying neural mechanism for emergence from general anesthesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghang Zhang
- From the Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Yiyong Wei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Longgang District Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital of Shenzhen City (Longgang Maternity and Child Institute of Shantou University Medical College), Shenzhen, China
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3
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Issa LK, Sekaran NVC, Llano DA. Highly branched and complementary distributions of layer 5 and layer 6 auditory corticofugal axons in mouse. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9566-9582. [PMID: 37386697 PMCID: PMC10431747 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The auditory cortex exerts a powerful, yet heterogeneous, effect on subcortical targets. Auditory corticofugal projections emanate from layers 5 and 6 and have complementary physiological properties. While several studies suggested that layer 5 corticofugal projections branch widely, others suggested that multiple independent projections exist. Less is known about layer 6; no studies have examined whether the various layer 6 corticofugal projections are independent. Therefore, we examined branching patterns of layers 5 and 6 auditory corticofugal neurons, using the corticocollicular system as an index, using traditional and novel approaches. We confirmed that dual retrograde injections into the mouse inferior colliculus and auditory thalamus co-labeled subpopulations of layers 5 and 6 auditory cortex neurons. We then used an intersectional approach to relabel layer 5 or 6 corticocollicular somata and found that both layers sent extensive branches to multiple subcortical structures. Using a novel approach to separately label layers 5 and 6 axons in individual mice, we found that layers 5 and 6 terminal distributions partially spatially overlapped and that giant terminals were only found in layer 5-derived axons. Overall, the high degree of branching and complementarity in layers 5 and 6 axonal distributions suggest that corticofugal projections should be considered as 2 widespread systems, rather than collections of individual projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina K Issa
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Nathiya V C Sekaran
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
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4
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Brunelle DL, Llano DA. Role of auditory-somatosensory corticothalamic circuit integration in analgesia. Cell Calcium 2023; 111:102717. [PMID: 36931195 PMCID: PMC10755628 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2023.102717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Our sensory environment is permeated by a diverse array of auditory and somatosensory stimuli. The pairing of acoustic signals with concurrent or forthcoming tactile cues are abundant in everyday life and various survival contexts across species, thus deeming the ability to integrate sensory inputs arising from the combination of these stimuli as crucial. The corticothalamic system plays a critical role in orchestrating the construction, integration and distribution of the information extracted from these sensory modalities. In this mini-review, we provide a circuit-level description of the auditory corticothalamic pathway in conjunction with adjacent corticothalamic somatosensory projections. Although the extent of the functional interactions shared by these pathways is not entirely elucidated, activation of each of these systems appears to modulate sensory perception in the complementary domain. Several specific issues are reviewed. Under certain environmental noise conditions, the spectral information of a sound could induce modulations in nociception and even induce analgesia. We begin by discussing recent findings by Zhou et al. (2022) implicating the corticothalamic system in mediating sound-induced analgesia. Next, we describe relevant components of the corticothalamic pathway's functional organization. Additionally, we describe an emerging body of literature pointing to intrathalamic circuitry being optimal for controlling and selecting sensory signals across modalities, with the thalamic reticular nucleus being a candidate mechanism for directing cross-modal interactions. Finally, Ca2+ bursting in thalamic neurons evoked by the thalamic reticular nucleus is explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri L Brunelle
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America.
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5
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Venkataraman A, Dias BG. Expanding the canon: An inclusive neurobiology of thalamic and subthalamic fear circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109380. [PMID: 36572176 PMCID: PMC9984284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate expression of fear in the face of threats in the environment is essential for survival. The sustained expression of fear in the absence of threat signals is a central pathological feature of trauma- and anxiety-related disorders. Our understanding of the neural circuitry that controls fear inhibition coalesces around the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. By discussing thalamic and sub-thalamic influences on fear-related learning and expression in this review, we suggest a more inclusive neurobiological framework that expands our canonical view of fear. First, we visit how fear-related learning and expression is influenced by the aforementioned canonical brain regions. Next, we review emerging data that shed light on new roles for thalamic and subthalamic nuclei in fear-related learning and expression. Then, we highlight how these neuroanatomical hubs can modulate fear via integration of sensory and salient stimuli, gating information flow and calibrating behavioral responses, as well as maintaining and updating memory representations. Finally, we propose that the presence of this thalamic and sub-thalamic neuroanatomy in parallel with the tripartite prefrontal cortex-amygdala-hippocampus circuit allows for dynamic modulation of information based on interoceptive and exteroceptive signals. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Venkataraman
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Brian George Dias
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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Jeschke M, Ohl FW, Wang X. Effects of Cortical Cooling on Sound Processing in Auditory Cortex and Thalamus of Awake Marmosets. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 15:786740. [PMID: 35069125 PMCID: PMC8766342 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.786740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The auditory thalamus is the central nexus of bottom-up connections from the inferior colliculus and top-down connections from auditory cortical areas. While considerable efforts have been made to investigate feedforward processing of sounds in the auditory thalamus (medial geniculate body, MGB) of non-human primates, little is known about the role of corticofugal feedback in the MGB of awake non-human primates. Therefore, we developed a small, repositionable cooling probe to manipulate corticofugal feedback and studied neural responses in both auditory cortex and thalamus to sounds under conditions of normal and reduced cortical temperature. Cooling-induced increases in the width of extracellularly recorded spikes in auditory cortex were observed over the distance of several hundred micrometers away from the cooling probe. Cortical neurons displayed reduction in both spontaneous and stimulus driven firing rates with decreased cortical temperatures. In thalamus, cortical cooling led to increased spontaneous firing and either increased or decreased stimulus driven activity. Furthermore, response tuning to modulation frequencies of temporally modulated sounds and spatial tuning to sound source location could be altered (increased or decreased) by cortical cooling. Specifically, best modulation frequencies of individual MGB neurons could shift either toward higher or lower frequencies based on the vector strength or the firing rate. The tuning of MGB neurons for spatial location could both sharpen or widen. Elevation preference could shift toward higher or lower elevations and azimuth tuning could move toward ipsilateral or contralateral locations. Such bidirectional changes were observed in many parameters which suggests that the auditory thalamus acts as a filter that could be adjusted according to behaviorally driven signals from auditory cortex. Future work will have to delineate the circuit elements responsible for the observed effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Jeschke
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,Department Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Group, Cognitive Hearing in Primates Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany,*Correspondence: Marcus Jeschke
| | - Frank W. Ohl
- Department Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany,Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,Xiaoqin Wang
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Reduced neural feedback signaling despite robust neuron and gamma auditory responses during human sleep. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:935-943. [PMID: 35817847 PMCID: PMC9276533 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01107-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
During sleep, sensory stimuli rarely trigger a behavioral response or conscious perception. However, it remains unclear whether sleep inhibits specific aspects of sensory processing, such as feedforward or feedback signaling. Here, we presented auditory stimuli (for example, click-trains, words, music) during wakefulness and sleep in patients with epilepsy, while recording neuronal spiking, microwire local field potentials, intracranial electroencephalogram and polysomnography. Auditory stimuli induced robust and selective spiking and high-gamma (80-200 Hz) power responses across the lateral temporal lobe during both non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Sleep only moderately attenuated response magnitudes, mainly affecting late responses beyond early auditory cortex and entrainment to rapid click-trains in NREM sleep. By contrast, auditory-induced alpha-beta (10-30 Hz) desynchronization (that is, decreased power), prevalent in wakefulness, was strongly reduced in sleep. Thus, extensive auditory responses persist during sleep whereas alpha-beta power decrease, likely reflecting neural feedback processes, is deficient. More broadly, our findings suggest that feedback signaling is key to conscious sensory processing.
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Antunes FM, Malmierca MS. Corticothalamic Pathways in Auditory Processing: Recent Advances and Insights From Other Sensory Systems. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:721186. [PMID: 34489648 PMCID: PMC8418311 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.721186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The corticothalamic (CT) pathways emanate from either Layer 5 (L5) or 6 (L6) of the neocortex and largely outnumber the ascending, thalamocortical pathways. The CT pathways provide the anatomical foundations for an intricate, bidirectional communication between thalamus and cortex. They act as dynamic circuits of information transfer with the ability to modulate or even drive the response properties of target neurons at each synaptic node of the circuit. L6 CT feedback pathways enable the cortex to shape the nature of its driving inputs, by directly modulating the sensory message arriving at the thalamus. L5 CT pathways can drive the postsynaptic neurons and initiate a transthalamic corticocortical circuit by which cortical areas communicate with each other. For this reason, L5 CT pathways place the thalamus at the heart of information transfer through the cortical hierarchy. Recent evidence goes even further to suggest that the thalamus via CT pathways regulates functional connectivity within and across cortical regions, and might be engaged in cognition, behavior, and perceptual inference. As descending pathways that enable reciprocal and context-dependent communication between thalamus and cortex, we venture that CT projections are particularly interesting in the context of hierarchical perceptual inference formulations such as those contemplated in predictive processing schemes, which so far heavily rely on cortical implementations. We discuss recent proposals suggesting that the thalamus, and particularly higher order thalamus via transthalamic pathways, could coordinate and contextualize hierarchical inference in cortical hierarchies. We will explore these ideas with a focus on the auditory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora M. Antunes
- Cognitive and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (CANELAB), Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Manuel S. Malmierca
- Cognitive and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (CANELAB), Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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Homma NY, Bajo VM. Lemniscal Corticothalamic Feedback in Auditory Scene Analysis. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:723893. [PMID: 34489635 PMCID: PMC8417129 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.723893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sound information is transmitted from the ear to central auditory stations of the brain via several nuclei. In addition to these ascending pathways there exist descending projections that can influence the information processing at each of these nuclei. A major descending pathway in the auditory system is the feedback projection from layer VI of the primary auditory cortex (A1) to the ventral division of medial geniculate body (MGBv) in the thalamus. The corticothalamic axons have small glutamatergic terminals that can modulate thalamic processing and thalamocortical information transmission. Corticothalamic neurons also provide input to GABAergic neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) that receives collaterals from the ascending thalamic axons. The balance of corticothalamic and TRN inputs has been shown to refine frequency tuning, firing patterns, and gating of MGBv neurons. Therefore, the thalamus is not merely a relay stage in the chain of auditory nuclei but does participate in complex aspects of sound processing that include top-down modulations. In this review, we aim (i) to examine how lemniscal corticothalamic feedback modulates responses in MGBv neurons, and (ii) to explore how the feedback contributes to auditory scene analysis, particularly on frequency and harmonic perception. Finally, we will discuss potential implications of the role of corticothalamic feedback in music and speech perception, where precise spectral and temporal processing is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Y. Homma
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Coleman Memorial Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Victoria M. Bajo
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Ibrahim BA, Murphy CA, Yudintsev G, Shinagawa Y, Banks MI, Llano DA. Corticothalamic gating of population auditory thalamocortical transmission in mouse. eLife 2021; 10:e56645. [PMID: 34028350 PMCID: PMC8186908 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms that govern thalamocortical transmission are poorly understood. Recent data have shown that sensory stimuli elicit activity in ensembles of cortical neurons that recapitulate stereotyped spontaneous activity patterns. Here, we elucidate a possible mechanism by which gating of patterned population cortical activity occurs. In this study, sensory-evoked all-or-none cortical population responses were observed in the mouse auditory cortex in vivo and similar stochastic cortical responses were observed in a colliculo-thalamocortical brain slice preparation. Cortical responses were associated with decreases in auditory thalamic synaptic inhibition and increases in thalamic synchrony. Silencing of corticothalamic neurons in layer 6 (but not layer 5) or the thalamic reticular nucleus linearized the cortical responses, suggesting that layer 6 corticothalamic feedback via the thalamic reticular nucleus was responsible for gating stochastic cortical population responses. These data implicate a corticothalamic-thalamic reticular nucleus circuit that modifies thalamic neuronal synchronization to recruit populations of cortical neurons for sensory representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baher A Ibrahim
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
| | - Caitlin A Murphy
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin-MadisonUnited States
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin-MadisonUnited States
| | - Georgiy Yudintsev
- Neuroscience Program, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
| | - Yoshitaka Shinagawa
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
| | - Matthew I Banks
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin-MadisonUnited States
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin-MadisonUnited States
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
- Neuroscience Program, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
- College of Medicine, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
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