Dan Leman

3) we provide several pieces of evidence that these plasticity changes driven by learning are gated by homeostatic mechanisms rather than Hebbian ("fire together, wire together") mechanisms, suggesting a novel role for homeostatic mechanisms in reconfiguring the V1b network post-visuomotor learning

A few big takeaways: 1) we show that V1 is required for learning to happen in 1 day (and in rats!)
2) we challenge the notion that average cortical firing rates ("setpoints") are rigid and can actually be modified via a salient task, like learning

Sure! Lab-raised juvenile rats quickly learn how to hunt crickets and this causes slow, but persistent increased plasticity in binocular visual cortex (V1b): in both firing rates & connections (spine density). So learning drives V1b increases in V1b activity & may be a site of skill consolidation

This was an incredible collaboration and would not be possible without the efforts of @bcary.bsky.social, @dianebissen.bsky.social, @wwenneuro.bsky.social, @strontiumpup.bsky.social, Regis Shanley, Krish Bhut, the seminal work of Brian Lane and the guidance and leadership of
@turrigiano.bsky.social

Rapid prey capture learning slowly re-sets activity set points in rodent binocular visual cortex Neurons within primary visual cortex (V1) possess stable firing rate set points to which they faithfully return when perturbed by passive sensory manipulations. Chronic recordings in vivo suggest that...

Excited to share several updates on our previous preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

We show rapid prey capture learning requires V1, enhances V1b responses across learning, and induces persistent plasticity in firing rates + spines, via homeostatic, rather than Hebbian, processes. Read more:

Prey capture learning drives critical period-specific plasticity in mouse binocular visual cortex Critical periods are developmental windows of high experience-dependent plasticity essential for the correct refinement of neuronal circuitry and function. While the consequences for the visual system...

Also, check out our complementary paper here from @dianebissen.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Rapid prey capture learning drives a slow resetting of network activity in rodent binocular visual cortex Neocortical neurons possess stable firing rate set points to which they faithfully return when perturbed. These set points are established early and are stable through adulthood, suggesting they are i...

Thrilled to share work from my PhD is now online as a preprint! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

We show prey capture learning requires V1, enhances V1b tuning to behavior, and induces persistent plasticity in firing rates and spines, gated by homeostatic, rather than Hebbian processes. Read more: