Optogenetic feedback control of neural activity

Newman, Jonathan P.

Title:

Optogenetic feedback control of neural activity

dc.contributor.advisor	Potter, Steve M.
dc.contributor.author	Newman, Jonathan P.
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Stanley, Garret B.
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Prinz, Astrid A.
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Butera, Robert J.
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Wagenaar, Daniel A.
dc.contributor.department	Biomedical Engineering (Joint GT/Emory Department)
dc.date.accessioned	2015-01-12T20:42:54Z
dc.date.available	2015-01-13T06:30:04Z
dc.date.created	2013-12
dc.date.issued	2013-11-18
dc.date.submitted	December 2013
dc.date.updated	2015-01-12T20:42:54Z
dc.description.abstract	Optogenetics is a set of technologies that enable optically triggered gain or loss of function in genetically specified populations of cells. Optogenetic methods have revolutionized experimental neuroscience by allowing precise excitation or inhibition of firing in specified neuronal populations embedded within complex, heterogeneous tissue. Although optogenetic tools have greatly improved our ability manipulate neural activity, they do not offer control of neural firing in the face of ongoing changes in network activity, plasticity, or sensory input. In this thesis, I develop a feedback control technology that automatically adjusts optical stimulation in real-time to precisely control network activity levels. I describe hardware and software tools, modes of optogenetic stimulation, and control algorithms required to achieve robust neural control over timescales ranging from seconds to days. I then demonstrate the scientific utility of these technologies in several experimental contexts. First, I investigate the role of connectivity in shaping the network encoding process using continuously-varying optical stimulation. I show that synaptic connectivity linearizes the neuronal response, verifying previous theoretical predictions. Next, I use long-term optogenetic feedback control to show that reductions in excitatory neurotransmission directly trigger homeostatic increases in synaptic strength. This result opposes a large body of literature on the subject and has significant implications for memory formation and maintenance. The technology presented in this thesis greatly enhances the precision with which optical stimulation can control neural activity, and allows causally related variables within neural circuits to be studied independently.
dc.description.degree	Ph.D.
dc.embargo.terms	2014-12-01
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1853/52973
dc.language.iso	en_US
dc.publisher	Georgia Institute of Technology
dc.subject	Neuroscience
dc.subject	Neuroengineering
dc.subject	Optogenetics
dc.subject	Controls
dc.subject	Electrophysiology
dc.subject	Plasticity
dc.subject	Synaptic-scaling
dc.subject	Feedback
dc.subject	Neural computation
dc.subject	Neural control
dc.subject	Real-time feedback
dc.subject	Neuroscience methods
dc.subject	Multichannel electrophysiology
dc.subject	Microelectrode arrays
dc.subject	Firing-rate control
dc.subject	Network-level processing
dc.subject	Neural encoding
dc.title	Optogenetic feedback control of neural activity
dc.type	Text
dc.type.genre	Dissertation
dspace.entity.type	Publication
local.contributor.advisor	Potter, Steve M.
local.contributor.corporatename	Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering
local.contributor.corporatename	College of Engineering
relation.isAdvisorOfPublication	419ab98e-ec40-4523-8d84-ffd9f63bd432
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication	da59be3c-3d0a-41da-91b9-ebe2ecc83b66
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication	7c022d60-21d5-497c-b552-95e489a06569
thesis.degree.level	Doctoral