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Authorship：Lead author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108924

Web of Science

Scopus

PubMed

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

The activity of primary auditory cortex (A1) neurons is modulated not only by sensory inputs but also by other task-related variables in associative learning. However, it is unclear how A1 neural activity changes dynamically in response to these variables during the learning process of associative memory tasks. Therefore, we developed an associative memory task using auditory stimuli in rats. In this task, rats were required to associate tone frequencies (high and low) with a choice of ports (right or left) to obtain a reward. The activity of A1 neurons in the rats during the learning process of the task was recorded. A1 neurons increased their firing rates either when the rats were presented with a high or low tone (frequency-selective cells) before they chose either the left or right port (choice-direction cells), or when they received a reward after choosing either the left or right port (reward-direction cells). Furthermore, the proportion of frequency-selective cells and reward-direction cells increased with task acquisition and reached the maximum level in the last stage of learning. These results suggest that A1 neurons have task- and learning-dependent selectivity toward sensory input and reward when auditory tones and behavioral responses are gradually associated during task training. This selective activity of A1 neurons may facilitate the formation of associations, leading to the consolidation of associative memory.Significance StatementThe activity of the primary auditory cortex (A1) neurons is modulated not only by sensory inputs but also by other task-related variables in associative learning. However, it is unclear how A1 neural activity changes dynamically in response to these variables during the learning processes of associative memory tasks. This study showed that neurons in A1 have the task-related and learning-dependent selectivity toward sensory inputs and rewards when auditory tones and behavioral responses are gradually associated during the training of an associative memory task. We conclude that this selective activity of A1 neurons might facilitate the formation of associations, leading to the consolidation of associative memory.

DOI： 10.1523/ENEURO.0046-22.2022

PubMed

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Frontiers Media SA  

The hippocampus is crucial for forming associations between environmental stimuli. However, it is unclear how neural activities of hippocampal neurons dynamically change during the learning process. To address this question, we developed an associative memory task for rats with auditory stimuli. In this task, the rats were required to associate tone pitches (high and low) and ports (right and left) to obtain a reward. We recorded the firing activity of neurons in rats hippocampal CA1 during the learning process of the task. As a result, many hippocampal CA1 neurons increased their firing rates when the rats received a reward after choosing either the left or right port. We referred to these cells as “reward-direction cells.” Furthermore, the proportion of the reward-direction cells increased in the middle-stage of learning but decreased after the completion of learning. This result suggests that the activity of reward-direction cells might serve as “positive feedback” signal that facilitates the formation of associations between tone pitches and port choice.

DOI： 10.3389/fnsys.2021.718619

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Elsevier BV  

DOI： 10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.099

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Authorship：Lead author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Elsevier {BV}  

DOI： 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102381

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Language：English

CiNii Books

Authorship：Lead author   Publisher：Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory  

Flavor plays a critical role in the pleasure of food. Flavor research has mainly focused on human subjects and revealed that many brain regions are involved in flavor perception. However, animal models for elucidating the mechanisms of neural circuits are lacking. Herein, we demonstrate the use of a novel behavioral task in which mice are capable of flavor discrimination. When the olfactory pathways of the mice were blocked, they could not perform the task. However, behavioral accuracy was not affected when the gustatory pathway was blocked by benzocaine. These results indicate that the mice performed this discrimination task mainly based on the intraoral flavor. We conclude that this novel task can contribute to research on the neural mechanisms of flavor perception.

DOI： 10.1101/2023.05.26.542382

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Authorship：Lead author  

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Event date： 2024.7

Presentation type：Poster presentation  

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Event date： 2024.3

Presentation type：Poster presentation  

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Event date： 2024.3

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

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Event date： 2023.12

Presentation type：Oral presentation (invited, special)  

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Event date： 2023.11

Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

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Type：Other

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Type：University open house

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Type：Academic society, research group, etc. 

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