Processing of information from the parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus through the basal ganglia.

Accumulating evidence implicates the parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus (Pf) in basal ganglia (BG)-related functions and pathologies. Despite Pf connectivity with all BG components, most attention is focused on the thalamostriatal system and an integrated view of thalamic information processing in this network is still lacking. Here, we addressed this question by recording the responses elicited by Pf activation in single neurons of the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr), the main BG output structure in rodents, in anesthetized mice.

S100β-mediated astroglial control of firing and input processing in layer 5 pyramidal neurons of the mouse visual cortex.

Key Points: Inputs impinging on layer 5 pyramidal neurons perform essential operations as these cells represent one of the most important output carriers of the cerebral cortex. However, the contribution of astrocytes, a type of glial cell, to these operations is poorly documented. Here we found that optogenetic activation of astrocytes in the vicinity of layer 5 in the mouse primary visual cortex induces spiking in local pyramidal neurons through Nav1.