Membrane potential response profiles of CA1 pyramidal cells probed with voltage-sensitive dye optical imaging in rat hippocampal slices reveal the impact of GABA(A)-mediated feed-forward inhibition in signal propagation.

The spatial and temporal distribution of excitatory and inhibitory membrane potential responses on a cell plays an important role in neuronal calculations in local neuronal circuits in the brain. The electrical dynamics of excitatory and inhibitory inputs along the somatodendritic extent of CA1 pyramidal cells during circuit activation were examined by stimulating strata radiatum (SR), oriens (SO), and lacunosum-moleculare (SLM) and measuring laminar responses with voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) optical recording methods. We first confirmed the linearity of the optical signal by comparing fluorescence changes in CA1 to global membrane potential changes when slices were bathed in high-potassium ([K+](O)=25 mM) solution.

Imaging of molecular dynamics regulated by electrical activities in neural circuits and in synapses.

One of the major challenges in brain research is to unravel a network of molecules, neurons, circuits and systems that are responsible for dynamic and hierarchical brain functions. To understand molecular events that occur in synapses could be an important key to exploring the mechanism of information processing. A spatiotemporal recording method is required to observe neuronal activities in a particular local circuit and to resolve single synaptic potential with high resolution.

Cholinergic modulation of the spatiotemporal pattern of hippocampal activity in vitro.

The aim of this study was to use optical imaging with voltage-sensitive dyes (Di-4-ANEPPS), to examine the cholinergic modulation of CA1 network responses to Schaffer collateral input. By comparing responses recorded with optical imaging and field recordings across the proximodistal axis of CA1, it was initially demonstrated that voltage-sensitive dyes could report reliably both the pattern of activation and cholinergic modulation. The higher spatial resolution of optical imaging was used to explore the somatodendritic profile of cholinergic modulation.

The brain-computer: origin of the idea and progress in its realization.

The Brain-Computer is a physical analogue of a real organism which uses both a brain-inspired memory-based architecture and an output-driven learning algorithm. This system can be realized by creating a scaled-down model car that learns how to drive by heuristically connecting image processing with behavior control. This study proves that learning efficiency progresses rapidly when the acquired behaviors are prioritized.

Editorial. The late professor Gen Matsumoto.

At the opening of this special issue dedicated to the work of the late Prof. Gen Matsumoto, I would like to look back at Gen Matsumoto's research life and to personally share with the readers of this journal his dream of creating a real brain-like computer. Gen Matsumoto had been planning to create a brain-like computer for thirty years.

Expanded dynamic range of fluorescent indicators for Ca(2+) by circularly permuted yellow fluorescent proteins.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technology has been used to develop genetically encoded fluorescent indicators for various cellular functions. Although most indicators have cyan- and yellow-emitting fluorescent proteins (CFP and YFP) as FRET donor and acceptor, their poor dynamic range often prevents detection of subtle but significant signals. Here, we optimized the relative orientation of the two chromophores in the Ca(2+) indicator, yellow cameleon (YC), by fusing YFP at different angles.

Massively parallel classification of single-trial EEG signals using a min-max modular neural network.

This paper presents a method for classifying single-trial electroencephalogram (EEG) signals using min-max modular neural networks implemented in a massively parallel way. The method has three main steps. First, a large-scale, complex EEG classification problem is simply divided into a reasonable number of two-class subproblems, as small as needed.

Activity-dependent depression of excitability and calcium transients in the neurohypophysis suggests a model of "stuttering conduction".

Using millisecond time-resolved optical recordings of transmembrane voltage and intraterminal calcium, we have determined how activity-dependent changes in the population action potential are related to a concurrent modulation of calcium transients in the neurohypophysis. We find that repetitive stimulation dramatically alters the amplitude of the population action potential and significantly increases its temporal dispersion. The population action potentials and the calcium transients exhibit well correlated frequency-dependent amplitude depression, with broadening of the action potential playing only a limited role.

Optical imaging of long-lasting depolarization on burst stimulation in area CA1 of rat hippocampal slices.

Postsynaptic depolarization of dendrites paired with spike generation at the soma is considered to be a central mechanism of long-term potentiation (LTP) induction and a prime example of a Hebbian synapse. This pairing, however, has never been actually demonstrated on tetanic stimulation. Optical imaging of neural activity with a voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) is one potentially suitable method for examining this pairing.

Neurodegeneration with tau accumulation in a transgenic mouse expressing V337M human tau.

Formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) is a common neuropathological feature found in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. We have developed a transgenic (Tg) mouse expressing mutant human tau (V337M), derived from frontotemporal dementia parkinsonism-17. V337M Tg mice revealed tau aggregations in the hippocampus, which fulfills the histological criteria for NFTs in human neurodegenerative diseases.