Observing neuronal activity of free-moving animals gives us a lot of information that helps us to understand the neural computations that mediate behavior. While many techniques have been utilized to measure neuronal activity in specific brain regions, these regions are made up of genetically and anatomically heterogeneous sub-populations, and dissection of neuronal activity of interest is still an ongoing challenge.
Neural activity causes rapid changes in intracellular free calcium. The development of genetically encoded calcium indicators, such as GCaMPs, allows us for in vivo visualization of calcium dynamics of specific neuronal populations. In this seminar, I will outline recent advances in calcium imaging technology, including fiberphotometry, and show our recent works on neural circuit mechanisms controlling appetitive and aversive learning.