Hippocampal Noradrenaline Is a Positive Regulator of Spatial Working Memory and Neurogenesis in the Rat.

Loss of noradrenaline (NA)-rich afferents from the Locus Coeruleus (LC) ascending to the hippocampal formation has been reported to dramatically affect distinct aspects of cognitive function, in addition to reducing the proliferation of neural progenitors in the dentate gyrus. Here, the hypothesis that reinstating hippocampal noradrenergic neurotransmission with transplanted LC-derived neuroblasts would concurrently normalize both cognitive performance and adult hippocampal neurogenesis was investigated. Post-natal day (PD) 4 rats underwent selective immunolesioning of hippocampal noradrenergic afferents followed, 4 days later, by the bilateral intrahippocampal implantation of LC noradrenergic-rich or control cerebellar (CBL) neuroblasts.

Combining magnetic resonance imaging with readout and/or perturbation of neural activity in animal models: Advantages and pitfalls.

One of the main challenges in brain research is to link all aspects of brain function: on a cellular, systemic, and functional level. Multimodal neuroimaging methodology provides a continuously evolving platform. Being able to combine calcium imaging, optogenetics, electrophysiology, chemogenetics, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as part of the numerous efforts on brain functional mapping, we have a unique opportunity to better understand brain function.