Cell
Volume 164, Issues 1–2, 14 January 2016, Pages 208-218
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Article
Prefrontal Parvalbumin Neurons in Control of Attention

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.11.038Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Increased firing of mPFC PV interneurons is a signature of top-down attention

  • Attention is characterized by synchronization of mPFC PV neurons and elevated gamma

  • Local pyramidal neurons show gamma-phase-dependent rate modulation during attention

  • Synchronization of mPFC PV neurons at gamma frequencies has pro-cognitive effects

Summary

While signatures of attention have been extensively studied in sensory systems, the neural sources and computations responsible for top-down control of attention are largely unknown. Using chronic recordings in mice, we found that fast-spiking parvalbumin (FS-PV) interneurons in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) uniformly show increased and sustained firing during goal-driven attentional processing, correlating to the level of attention. Elevated activity of FS-PV neurons on the timescale of seconds predicted successful execution of behavior. Successful allocation of attention was characterized by strong synchronization of FS-PV neurons, increased gamma oscillations, and phase locking of pyramidal firing. Phase-locked pyramidal neurons showed gamma-phase-dependent rate modulation during successful attentional processing. Optogenetic silencing of FS-PV neurons deteriorated attentional processing, while optogenetic synchronization of FS-PV neurons at gamma frequencies had pro-cognitive effects and improved goal-directed behavior. FS-PV neurons thus act as a functional unit coordinating the activity in the local mPFC circuit during goal-driven attentional processing.

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This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).