Information processing is energetically expensive. In the mammalian brain, it is unclear how information coding and energy use are regulated during food scarcity. Using whole-cell recordings and two-photon imaging in layer 2/3 mouse visual cortex, we found that food restriction reduced AMPA receptor conductance, reducing synaptic ATP use by 29%. Neuronal excitability was nonetheless preserved by a compensatory increase in input resistance and a depolarized resting potential. Consequently, neurons spiked at similar rates as controls but spent less ATP on underlying excitatory currents. This energy-saving strategy had a cost because it amplified the variability of visually-evoked subthreshold responses, leading to a 32% broadening of orientation tuning and impaired fine visual discrimination. This reduction in coding precision was associated with reduced levels of the fat mass-regulated hormone leptin and was restored by exogenous leptin supplementation. Our findings reveal that metabolic state dynamically regulates the energy spent on coding precision in neocortex.
Padamsey, Zahid; Katsanevaki, Danai; Rochefort, Nathalie. (2021). Neocortex saves energy by reducing coding precision during food scarcity, [dataset]. University of Edinburgh. https://doi.org/10.7488/ds/3214.
Date made available | 30 Nov 2021 |
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Publisher | Edinburgh DataShare |
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Geographical coverage | UNITED KINGDOM,UK,Edinburgh, Scoltand |
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