Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

The use of optogenetic technology is rapidly changing the field of neuroscience. Optogenetics is a technique that allows the researcher to manipulate the activity of very specific subtypes of neurons (e.g. neurons that make the brain chemical acetylcholine) by applying short bursts of light in order to inhibit or excite their activity. By doing this, we as a field, are getting more information than ever on the specific functions of these neuron types. It is theoretically now possible to manipulate specific neuronal pathways and alter an animal's cognition and behaviour. For example, in my laboratory, we study basic cognitive processes involved in decision-making. Previously we have been limited to manipulating cognitive processes using pharmacological techniques, which while very informative, are limited in terms of the specificity and timing of effects; these techniques cannot target particular neuronal subtypes, and act over minutes to hours. Optogenetics overcomes this obstacle and allows millisecond-to-millisecond control over neurons within particular neuronal signalling pathways. While this technology could be applied to many questions of interest, our initial investigations will examine an interesting finding from our 'cognitive effort' task. In this task, rats have a choice between trying to spot a very brief stimulus (which taxes their attentional abilities) in order to earn a larger reward, or detecting a stimulus that lasts five times as long, and is therefore a much easier to see, in order to earn a smaller reward. Our previous publications have identified subgroups within the rat population, those that tend to be 'workers' (choosing the hard option) or 'slackers' (choosing the easy option). Whether a rat is a worker or slacker may depend on a specific brain region: the prelimbic cortex. Using optogenetic technology we can modulate activity in subtypes of neurons within the prelimbic cortex, allowing us to examine how this brain area influences attention and decision making on the cognitive effort task. Optogenetics is quickly becoming the gold standard for reversible brain manipulations in animals. Acquiring this technology will help to make the students of my laboratory as competitive as they can be in the job marketplace and in grant applications.