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SUMMARY:Learning and motivation toggle feed-forward inhibition in the Dros
 ophila mushroom body - Scott Waddell
DTSTART:20160427T100000Z
DTEND:20160427T110000Z
UID:TALK62587@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Scientific Meetings Co-ordinator
DESCRIPTION:Learning permits animals to attach meaning and context to sens
 ory stimuli. We are interested in how memories are coded in neural network
 s in the brain\, and appropriately retrieved and utilized to guide behavio
 r. In the fruit fly olfactory memories of particular value are represented
  within sparse populations of odor-activated Kenyon cells (KCs) in the mus
 hroom body ensemble. Current models suggest that during learning reinforci
 ng dopaminergic neurons skew the mushroom body network by driving zonally-
 restricted plasticity at synaptic junctions between the KCs and subsets of
  the overall small collection of mushroom body output neurons. Reactivatio
 n of the skewed KC-output neuron network retrieves memory of odor valence 
 and guides appropriate approach or avoidance behavior. Our recent work sug
 gests that skews in the KC-output neuron network might also account for st
 ate-dependent memory retrieval and memory re-evaluation. 
LOCATION:Max Perutz Lecture Theatre\, Medical Research Council (MRC) (MRC 
 Laboratory of Molecular Biol
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