Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Forlanini 6, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Brain Connectivity Center, Via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
Commun Biol. 2022 Nov 14;5(1):1240. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-04213-y.
The cerebellar network is renowned for its regular architecture that has inspired foundational computational theories. However, the relationship between circuit structure, function and dynamics remains elusive. To tackle the issue, we developed an advanced computational modeling framework that allows us to reconstruct and simulate the structure and function of the mouse cerebellar cortex using morphologically realistic multi-compartmental neuron models. The cerebellar connectome is generated through appropriate connection rules, unifying a collection of scattered experimental data into a coherent construct and providing a new model-based ground-truth about circuit organization. Naturalistic background and sensory-burst stimulation are used for functional validation against recordings in vivo, monitoring the impact of cellular mechanisms on signal propagation, inhibitory control, and long-term synaptic plasticity. Our simulations show how mossy fibers entrain the local neuronal microcircuit, boosting the formation of columns of activity travelling from the granular to the molecular layer providing a new resource for the investigation of local microcircuit computation and of the neural correlates of behavior.
小脑网络以其规则的结构而闻名，这启发了基础计算理论。然而，电路结构、功能和动力学之间的关系仍然难以捉摸。为了解决这个问题，我们开发了一个先进的计算建模框架，允许我们使用形态逼真的多室神经元模型来重建和模拟小鼠小脑皮层的结构和功能。小脑连接组是通过适当的连接规则生成的，将一系列分散的实验数据统一到一个连贯的结构中，并为电路组织提供了新的基于模型的真实情况。自然背景和感觉爆发刺激用于与体内记录进行功能验证，监测细胞机制对信号传播、抑制控制和长时程突触可塑性的影响。我们的模拟显示了苔藓纤维如何使局部神经元微电路同步，增强从颗粒层到分子层的活动柱的形成，为研究局部微电路计算和行为的神经相关性提供了新的资源。
