Brice Bathlier from NeuroPSI/CNRS will give a talk at NeuroSpin on September 9th. 

He's interested in understanding the neural basis of sensory perception in mice using a broad spectrum of techniques and viewpoints such as high-precision, large-scale neuronal networks recordings, optogenetics, computational neuroscience and mouse behavior.

Short abstract:

Driving perception by direct activation of neural ensembles in cortex is a necessary step for achieving a causal understanding of the neural code for auditory perception and developing central sensory rehabilitation methods. Here, using optogenetic manipulations during an auditory discrimination task in mice, we show that auditory cortex can be short-circuited by coarser pathways for simple sound identification. Yet, when the sensory decision becomes more complex, involving temporal integration of information, auditory cortex activity is required for sound discrimination and targeted activation of specific cortical ensembles changes perceptual decisions as predicted by our readout of the cortical code. Hence, auditory cortex representations contribute to sound discriminations by refining decisions from parallel routes.