Large-scale and wide-band brain dynamics mediating memory consolidation in the freely moving rat

ongoing

Dementia is a major healthcare challenge worldwide due to its high incidence and its strong impact on the life quality of patients and on society as a whole. Development of treatments for the mitigation of memory impairment in patients with dementia has proven very challenging, partly due to our limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms of memory consolidation. Memory consolidation is mediated by communication between large-scale networks in the brain, particularly the hippocampal formation and neocortical circuits, coordinated by synchronous oscillatory dynamics, as shown in both humans and animal models during the resting state. In humans, this coordination is associated with complex resting-state network (RSN) dynamics that are reflected in spatio-temporal patterns of infra-slow (<0.5Hz) brain activity. However, the link between RSNs dynamics and well-understood neuronal dynamics underlying memory consolidation in animal models remains a major knowledge gap due to technical limitations. Wide-Band Ephys has a unique potential to close this gap by mapping extracellular potentials with high spatio-temporal resolution in a wide frequency band, enabling inference of RSN dynamics across brain-wide networks in freely moving rats. Using customized graphene-based neural probes in combination with Neuropixel 2.0 probes, fiber-photometry and optogenetics, I aim to investigate the mechanisms underlying memory consolidation with an unprecedented level of detail. Extending the current knowledge on the functional role of RSNs and local slow oscillations in the rat could lead to the development of novel treatments for dementia, which will be explored in collaboration with the private sector during this project. The interdisciplinary approach presented in this proposal will complement my expertise in neurotechnology with more advanced skills in fundamental neuroscience, enhancing my career prospects in the field of translational neuroscience.