Systems Neuroscience and Psychiatry Lab
Affective & Motivated Behaviors
A daily significance
Through social activities, work, parenting, our emotional and volitional doings are constantly engaged by modern society lifestyle. Balanced affective and motivation functions appear as necessary skills to navigate a healthy existence.
Our main endeavour is to understand what happens in the neural pathways during affective and motivated behaviors. We are searching the brain for the neuronal representations depicting and embedding our actions as well as their value and emotional content.
How do we proceed...? Physiology first!
We study the anatomical and physiological properties of the mammalian brain, with a focus on cortical structures such as the prefrontal neocortex and the amygdala. We combine behavioural approaches with physiological recordings to track neuronal activity during cognitive tasks.
Prefrontal and amygdala recordings in behaving animals have allowed us to shed light on fundamental mechanisms allowing animals to engage into adapted actions. Neurons express specific syntax that encode emotional context #1 as well as adequate actions #2 that fuel adaptive responses to incoming demands.
Nonetheless, altered representations of the world can induce clinical situations.
Thus our other challenge is to investigate the pathological brain
Continue
Clinical & Translational approaches
#1 The advent of fear conditioning as an animal model of post-traumatic stress disorder: Learning from the past to shape the future of PTSD research.
Bienvenu T et al.
Neuron 2021.
#2 Prefrontal parvalbumin interneurons shape neuronal activity to drive fear expression.
#3 4-Hz oscillations synchronize prefrontal-amygdala circuits during fear behavior.
Karalis N. et al.
Nature Neuroscience 2016.
#4 Neuromodulation Treatments of Pathological Anxiety in Anxiety Disorders, Stressor-Related Disorders, and Major Depressive Disorder: A Dimensional Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Gay F et al.
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022.
#5 Neuronal Circuits for Fear Expression and Recovery: Recent Advances and Potential Therapeutic Strategies.
Dejean C et al.
Key Publications
Translational research is a double dialog.
First, between animal- and human-based knowledge: neurophysiology of emotions and motivation studies in animal models provides a precious knowledge that we seek to translate in humans. Second, between physiology and pathophysiology: we compare healthy and pathological phenotypes to understand their respective nature. These tasks rely on the strong anato-functional homologies across mammals but their success requires sound animal models and sound, translatable biological signatures or markers.
Preclinical research
A great challenge of ours is to refine animal models of human traits and disorders to make the best use of the powerful tools we have to investigate rodent physiology #1. We discovered that associative fear expression is controled by a precise neuronal population and mechanisms in the prefrontal cortex #2. Our work has later led to the discovery of a robust biosignature of fear, a slow prefrontal brainwave that synchronizes and entrain the amygdala #3.
Clinical research
We are investigating how these results translate in human biology. In both healthy and clinical populations, we monitor brainwaves through scalp EEG and deep sEEG recordings, while individuals are subjected to emotional tasks. As neurostimulation for psychiatric disorders develops #4, we believe biosignatures of human cognitive states represent a target for precision psychiatry #5.
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Basic & Clinical Research Tools
#1 Switching on and off fear by distinct neuronal circuits.
Herry C et al.
Nature. 2008
#2 Prefrontal-Periaqueductal Gray-Projecting Neurons Mediate Context Fear Discrimination.
#3 Prefrontal circuits encode both general danger and specific threat representations.
#4 Prefrontal neuronal assemblies temporally control fear behaviour.
#5 Dye-Based Fluorescent Organic Nanoparticles, New Promising Tools for Optogenetics.
Key Publications
Neurophysiology of behaving mammals.
Our expertise covers invasive and non-invasive electrophysiology as well as calcium imaging techniques. Our interest spans from single cell to neuronal population monitoring and brainwaves. Behaviour-wise, we run and develop paradigms engaging affective and motivational processes in animal models and human subjects.
With this joint tracking of behavioural and brain dynamics, we are able to correlate behaviours with specific neural patterns. Whether such patterns are necessary for emotional and motivated behaviours, is tested through physiology-altering experiments with pharmalogical/optogenetic techniques.
Monitoring and probing neural circuit.
We dissect neuronal circuits with precise optogenetic tools targeted by a fine understand of physiology. We isolated specific amygdalar #1 and prefrontal #2 pathways dedicated to fear learning, expression and extinction. With designer paradigms engaging both emotional and instrumental functions, we demonstrate that prefrontal cortex nests complex, multilayer representation of emotion and actions #3.
Innovating in neurostimulation.
In addition to the targetting of circuits, we build brain-machine interface with the potency the modulate brain activity in real time, in a physiology and subjecty-specific manner #4. In line with that, we develop new adaptive BMI for precision psychiatry and the next generation of optical tools for minimally-invasive applications #5.
Back
Physiology first!
We study the anatomical and physiological properties of the mammalian brain, with a focus on cortical structures such as the prefrontal neocortex and the amygdala. We combine behavioural approaches with physiological recordings to track neuronal activity during cognitive tasks.
Prefrontal and amygdala recordings in behaving animals have allowed us to shed light on fundamental mechanisms allowing animals to engage into adequate actions. Neurons express specific syntaxes that encode context emotional content * as well as available ressources *, to fuel adaptive responses to incoming challenges.
Nonetheless, altered representations of the world can induce clinical situations.
Next challenge? To investigate the pathological brain
Continue
Clinical & Translational approaches
In the lab, translational research is a double dialog. First, between animal- and human-based knowledge: neurophysiology of emotions and motivation studies in animal models provides a precious knowledge that we seek to translate in humans.
Second, between physiology and pathophysiology: we compare healthy and pathological phenotypes to understand their respective nature.
These tasks rely on the strong anatomical and functional homologies across mammals but their success requires sound animal models and sound, translatable biological signatures or markers.
Continue
Back
* The advent of fear conditioning as an animal model of post-traumatic stress disorder: Learning from the past to shape the future of PTSD research. Neuron 2021. Bienvenu T et al.
** Prefrontal parvalbumin interneurons shape neuronal activity to drive fear expression. Nature 2014. Courtin J,
*** 4-Hz oscillations synchronize prefrontal-amygdala circuits during fear behavior. Nature Neuroscience 2016. Karalis N.
## Neuronal Circuits for Fear Expression and Recovery: Recent Advances and Potential Therapeutic Strategies. Biological Psychiatry 2014. Dejean C et al.
Key Publications
Preclinical research
A great challenge of ours is to refine animal models of human traits and disorders to make the best use of the powerful tools we have to investigate rodent physiology *.
We discovered that associative fear expression is controled by a precise neuronal population and mechanisms in the prefrontal cortex **. Our work has later led to the discovery of a robust biosignature of fear, a slow prefrontal brainwave that synchronizes and entrain the amygdala ***.
Clinical research
We are investigating how these results translate in human biology. In both healthy and clinical populations, we monitor brainwaves through scalp EEG and deep sEEG recordings, while individuals are subjected to emotional tasks.
As neurostimulation for psychiatric disorders develops #, we believe biosignatures of human cognitive states represent a target for precision psychiatry ##.
Continue
Back
Basic & Clinical Research Tools
We study the neurophysiology of behaving mammals. Our expertise covers invasive and non-invasive electrophysiology as well as calcium imaging techniques. Our interest spans from single cell to neuronal population monitoring and brainwaves.
Behaviour-wise, we run and develop paradigms engaging affective and motivational processes in animal models and human subjects.
With this joint tracking of behavioural and brain dynamics, we're able to correlate behaviours with specific neural pattern.
We test the necessity of such patterns through gain/loss of function experiments with pharmalogical or optogenetic techniques.
Continue
Back
Monitoring and probing neural circuit
We dissect neuronal circuits with precise optogenetic tools targeted by a fine understand of physiology. We isolated specific amygdalar * and prefrontal ** pathways dedicated to fear learning, expression and extinction.
With designer paradigms engaging both emotional and instrumental functions, we demonstrate that prefrontal cortex nests complex, multilayer representation of emotion and actions ***.
Innovating in neurostimulation
In addition to the targetting of circuits, we build brain-machine interface with the potency the modulate brain activity in real time, in a physiology and subjecty-specific manner #.
In line with that, we develop new adaptive BMI for precision psychiatry and the next generation of optical tools for minimally-invasive applications ##.
Back
Top
Affective & Motivated Behaviors
Through social activities, work, parenting, our emotional and volitional doings are constantly engaged by modern society lifestyle. Balanced affective and motivation functions appear as necessary skills to navigate a healthy existence.
Our main endeavour is to understand what happens in the neural pathways during affective and motivated behaviors. We are searching the brain for the neuronal representations depicting and embedding our actions as well as their value and emotional content.
How do we proceed...? Physiology first!
We study the anatomical and physiological properties of the mammalian brain, with a focus on cortical structures such as the prefrontal neocortex and the amygdala. We combine behavioural approaches with physiological recordings to track neuronal activity during cognitive tasks.
Key Publications
Prefrontal and amygdala recordings in behaving animals have allowed us to shed light on fundamental mechanisms allowing animals to engage into adapted actions. Neurons express specific syntax that encode the emotional context * and the ressources available ** and that fuel adaptive responses to the coming challenges.
Nonetheless, altered representations of the world can induce clinical situations.
Next challenge? To investigate the pathological brain
Clinical & Translational approaches
In the lab, translational research is a double dialog.
First, between animal- and human-based knowledge: neurophysiology of emotions and motivation studies in animal models provides a precious knowledge that we seek to translate in humans.
Second, between physiology and pathophysiology: we compare healthy and pathological phenotypes to understand their respective nature.
These tasks rely on the strong anatomical and functional homologies across mammals but their success requires sound animal models and sound, translatable biological signatures or markers.
Preclinical research
A great challenge of ours is to refine animal models of human traits and disorders to make the best use of the powerful tools we have to investigate rodent physiology *.
We discovered that associative fear expression is controled by a precise neuronal population and mechanisms in the prefrontal cortex **. Our work has later led to the discovery of a robust biosignature of fear, a slow prefrontal brainwave that synchronizes and entrain the amygdala ***.
Key Publications
Clinical research
We are investigating how these results translate in human biology. In both healthy and clinical populations, we monitor brainwaves through scalp EEG and deep sEEG recordings, while individuals are subjected to emotional tasks.
As neurostimulation for psychiatric disorders develops #, we believe biosignatures of human cognitive states represent a target for precision psychiatry ##.
Continue
Back
Basic & Clinical Research Tools
We study the neurophysiology of behaving mammals. Our expertise covers invasive and non-invasive electrophysiology as well as calcium imaging techniques. Our interest spans from single cell to neuronal population monitoring and brainwaves.
Behaviour-wise, we run and develop paradigms engaging affective and motivational processes in animal models and human subjects.
With this joint tracking of behavioural and brain dynamics, we're able to correlate behaviours with specific neural pattern. Whether such patterns are necessary for emotional and motivated behaviours, is tested through physiology-altering experiments with pharmalogical or optogenetic techniques.
Monitoring and probing neural circuit
We dissect neuronal circuits with precise optogenetic tools targeted by a fine understand of physiology. We isolated specific amygdalar * and prefrontal ** pathways dedicated to fear learning, expression and extinction
With designer paradigms engaging both emotional and instrumental functions, we demonstrate that prefrontal cortex nests complex, multilayer representation of emotion and actions ***.
Continue
Back
Key Publications
Innovating in neurostimulation
In addition to the targetting of circuits, we build brain-machine interface with the potency the modulate brain activity in real time, in a physiology and subjecty-specific manner #.
In line with that, we develop new adaptive BMI for precision psychiatry and the next generation of optical tools for minimally-invasive applications ##.
Affective & Motivated Behaviors
Through social activities, work, parenting, our emotional and volitional doings are constantly engaged by modern society lifestyle. Balanced affective and motivational functions appear as necessary skills to navigate a healthy existence.
Our main endeavour is to understand what happens in the neural pathways during affective and motivated behaviors.
We are searching the brain for the neuronal representations depicting and embedding our actions as well as their value and emotional content.
How do we proceed...? Physiology first!
