Theses
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Nicolas Deperrois |
| Title: | Learning to dream, dreaming to learn |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Tue 24. January 2023 13:30 |
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Raquel Adaia Sandoval Ortega |
| Title: | The Neural Correlates of Pain and Sleep in Health and Disease |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Mon 27. March 2023 15:00 |
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Seyma Nayir Jordan |
| Title: | How does cardiac tissue strain influence spontaneous electrical activity and beating variability? |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Wed 5. April 2023 14:00 |
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Konstantinos Koukoutselos |
| Title: | Anticipatory coding of anxiety in the ventral hippocampus |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Thu 6. April 2023 10:00 | |
| Abstract | Anxiety is an aversive emotional state reflecting the expectation of potential threats. The ventral hippocampus (vHip) is a key brain region for the genesis of anxiety responses. Recent studies have shown that anxiety is mediated by the recruitment of pyramidal neurons from the vHip (anxiety neurons) targeting various limbic structures. Despite the function of the vHip in triggering emotional responses, whether the vHip also signals the anticipation of an anxiogenic experience remains elusive. To address this question, we developed a novel trial- based rodent anxiety behavioural task called the forced emotional-shifting task (FEST), with separate temporal and spatial contexts for the anxiogenic experience and its anticipation. By performing in vivo single-unit recordings from the vHip of freely moving mice, we identified both anxiety neurons as well as a distinct neuronal population with ramping activity in the safe compartment of the forced emotional-shifting task, suggestive of an anticipatory coding for anxiety. The activity of these anticipatory neurons intrinsically depended on the experience of anxiety, indicating that anticipatory neurons are not the mere result of novelty or time processing. Moreover, unpredictable time intervals impaired the formation of anticipatory neurons, while long structured time intervals enhanced their response. The activity of anxiety neurons correlated with the magnitude of the anticipatory signal. Optogenetic silencing of the vHip activity in the safe compartment led to lower anxiety- related neuronal activity, indicating a possible functional interaction between anticipatory and anxiety neurons. Collectively, our results suggest that anxiety processing comprises different stages, with distinct neuronal populations within the vHip mediating anxiety or its anticipation. |
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Laura Kriener |
| Title: | Deep Learning in Neuronal and Neuromorphic Systems |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Mon 24. April 2023 13:00 |
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Emma Volitaki |
| Title: | Neural circuits for anxiety in the ventral hippocampus |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Mon 15. May 2023 15:30 | |
| Abstract | Anxiety plays a key role in guiding behaviour in response to potential threats. Anxiety is mediated by the activation of pyramidal neurons in the ventral hippocampus (vH) targeting various limbic structures. The activity of pyramidal neurons is controlled by inhibitory interneurons that release GABA, a system that represents an important target of anxiolytic drugs. However, how different vH interneurons might contribute to anxiety-related processes is largely unknown. Here, we investigated the role of vH parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons while mice transitioned from safe to anxiogenic compartments of the elevated-plus-maze (EPM), an anxiety task for rodents. We found that vH PV interneurons increased their activity upon entry to the anxiogenic compartments concomitant with dynamic changes in inhibitory interactions between PV interneurons and pyramidal neurons. By optogenetically inhibiting PV interneurons in anxiogenic compartments of the EPM, we induced an increase in the activity of vH pyramidal neurons and persistent anxiety. Collectively, our results suggest that vH inhibitory micro-circuits may act as a trigger for enduring anxiety states. |
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Federica Franciosa |
| Title: | Subtype-specific plasticity of layer 5 pyramidal neurons of the anterior cingulate cortex in inflammatory pain |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Thu 22. June 2023 15:00 |
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Giulia Schilardi |
| Title: | Unraveling changes in ON-bipolar cell signaling during retinal degeneration to optimize optogenetic therapies |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Thu 6. July 2023 18:00 |
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Joana Duarte |
| Title: | Ventral hippocampus contextualization of social rewards |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Mon 10. July 2023 15:30 |
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Carlo Cerquetella |
| Title: | Neural circuits for emotional conflicts and decision making in the ventral hippocampus |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Tue 8. August 2023 16:00 |
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Constanze Raltschev |
| Title: | Neocortical circuits in sensory association and perception in the mouse posterior parietal cortex |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Mon 21. August 2023 14:00 |
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Zoja Selimi |
| Title: | Cardiac sodium channels: to interact or not to interact? |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Tue 29. August 2023 14:00 |
Thesis Defense
| Author: | Dr. Ena Ivanovic |
| Title: | Three‐dimensional computational modelling of cardiac cells electrically interacting via ephaptic coupling |
| Location: | Seminarraum |
| Thu 31. August 2023 17:00 |