The neural network dynamics underlying the Motion After-effect in zebrafish larva

VERÓNICA PÉREZ-SCHUSTER; MORGANE NOUVIAN; SEBASTIÁN A. ROMANO; THOMAS PIETRI; GERMÁN SUMBRE

Huerta Grande

Simposio; Satellite Meeting on Neurobiology of Behavior in XXVIII Meeting of the Argentinean Neuroscience Society; 2013

Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencias

An illusion is a perceptual misinterpretation of a real external sensory experience that may induce sensory perception in complete absence of any physical external stimulation. To better understand what are the neural network mechanisms underlying sensory illusions we are using the Motion After-Effect (MAE), in which the exposure to coherent continuous motion for a certain period of time induces motion perception in the opposite direction, following the end of the moving stimulus. Even thought this effect has been intensively studied at the behavioral and single-cell physiology levels, the neural network representation at different sensory processing brain regions remains elusive. For this purpose we are using the zebrafish larva as the experimental model, which allows monitoring the dynamics of large neural networks from several brain regions in a behaving organism. After behaviorally validating that the zebrafish larva indeed exhibits a robust MAE visual illusion, we monitored the dynamics of large neural networks during MAE using intact HuC:GCaMP3 transgenic larvae under a two-photon scanning microscope. Preliminary results show neurons, within the larva´s optic-tectum (the largest and highest visual center of teleost fish), that are adequately activated during the MAE time period.