Decision letter: Effects of visual inputs on neural dynamics for coding of location and running speed in medial entorhinal cortex

ABSTRACTNeuronal representations of spatial location and movement speed in the medial entorhinal cortex during the “active” theta state of the brain are important for memory-guided navigation and rely on visual inputs. However, little is known about how visual inputs change neural dynamics as a function of running speed and time. By manipulating visual inputs in mice, we demonstrate that changes in spatial stability of grid cell firing as a function of time correlate with changes in a proposed speed signal by local field potential theta frequency. In contrast, visual inputs do not affect the speed modulation of firing rates. Moreover, we provide evidence that sensory inputs other than visual inputs can support grid cell firing, though less accurately, in complete darkness. Finally, changes in spatial accuracy of grid cell firing on a 10-s time scale suggest that grid cell firing is a function of velocity signals integrated over past time.

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Author response: Effects of visual inputs on neural dynamics for coding of location and running speed in medial entorhinal cortex

10.7554/elife.62500.sa2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Holger Dannenberg ◽

Hallie Lazaro ◽

Pranav Nambiar ◽

Alec Hoyland ◽

Michael E Hasselmo

Keyword(s):

Entorhinal Cortex ◽

Author Response ◽

Neural Dynamics ◽

Running Speed ◽

Medial Entorhinal Cortex ◽

Visual Inputs

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Effects of visual inputs on neural dynamics for coding of location and running speed in medial entorhinal cortex

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.62500 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Holger Dannenberg ◽

Hallie Lazaro ◽

Pranav Nambiar ◽

Alec Hoyland ◽

Michael E Hasselmo

Keyword(s):

Entorhinal Cortex ◽

Field Potential ◽

Grid Cell ◽

Neuronal Firing ◽

Neural Dynamics ◽

Movement Speed ◽

Running Speed ◽

Medial Entorhinal Cortex ◽

Visual Inputs ◽

Cell Firing

Neuronal representations of spatial location and movement speed in the medial entorhinal cortex during the ‘active’ theta state of the brain are important for memory-guided navigation and rely on visual inputs. However, little is known about how visual inputs change neural dynamics as a function of running speed and time. By manipulating visual inputs in mice, we demonstrate that changes in spatial stability of grid cell firing correlate with changes in a proposed speed signal by local field potential theta frequency. In contrast, visual inputs do not alter the running speed-dependent gain in neuronal firing rates. Moreover, we provide evidence that sensory inputs other than visual inputs can support grid cell firing, though less accurately, in complete darkness. Finally, changes in spatial accuracy of grid cell firing on a 10 s time scale suggest that grid cell firing is a function of velocity signals integrated over past time.

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Multiple Running Speed Signals in Medial Entorhinal Cortex

Neuron ◽

10.1016/j.neuron.2016.06.027 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 91 (3) ◽

pp. 666-679 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

James R. Hinman ◽

Mark P. Brandon ◽

Jason R. Climer ◽

G. William Chapman ◽

Michael E. Hasselmo

Keyword(s):

Entorhinal Cortex ◽

Running Speed ◽

Medial Entorhinal Cortex

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Visual cue-related activity of cells in the medial entorhinal cortex during navigation in virtual reality

10.1101/453787 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Amina A. Kinkhabwala ◽

Yi Gu ◽

Dmitriy Aronov ◽

David W. Tank

Keyword(s):

Entorhinal Cortex ◽

Path Integration ◽

Visual Cues ◽

Large Fraction ◽

Estimation Errors ◽

Medial Entorhinal Cortex ◽

Visual Cue ◽

Visual Inputs ◽

Cell Class ◽

Self Motion

AbstractDuring spatial navigation, animals use self-motion to estimate positions through path integration. However, estimation errors accumulate over time and it is unclear how they are corrected. Here we report a new cell class (“cue cell”) in mouse medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) that encoded visual cue information that could be used to correct errors in path integration. Cue cells accounted for a large fraction of unidentified MEC cells. They exhibited firing fields only near visual cues during virtual navigation and spatially stable activity during navigation in a real arena. Cue cells’ responses occurred in sequences repeated at each cue and were likely driven by visual inputs. In layers 2/3 of the MEC, cue cells formed clusters. Anatomically adjacent cue cells responded similarly to cues. These cue cell properties demonstrate that the MEC circuits contain a code representing spatial landmarks that could play a significant role in error correction during path integration.

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Mouse entorhinal cortex encodes a diverse repertoire of self-motion signals

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-20936-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Caitlin S. Mallory ◽

Kiah Hardcastle ◽

Malcolm G. Campbell ◽

Alexander Attinger ◽

Isabel I. C. Low ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Entorhinal Cortex ◽

Medial Temporal Lobe ◽

Visual Cues ◽

Neural Circuits ◽

Sensory Cues ◽

Medial Entorhinal Cortex ◽

Representation Of Space ◽

Self Motion ◽

Information Streams ◽

Representations Of Space

AbstractNeural circuits generate representations of the external world from multiple information streams. The navigation system provides an exceptional lens through which we may gain insights about how such computations are implemented. Neural circuits in the medial temporal lobe construct a map-like representation of space that supports navigation. This computation integrates multiple sensory cues, and, in addition, is thought to require cues related to the individual’s movement through the environment. Here, we identify multiple self-motion signals, related to the position and velocity of the head and eyes, encoded by neurons in a key node of the navigation circuitry of mice, the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC). The representation of these signals is highly integrated with other cues in individual neurons. Such information could be used to compute the allocentric location of landmarks from visual cues and to generate internal representations of space.

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