# Investigating cortical readout of temporal codes for olfaction

> **NIH NIH F31** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $39,010

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 In the brain, stereotyped sequences of neural activity have been shown to correlate with a diverse array
of behaviors and cognitive processes. While neural sequences have been characterized extensively from an
encoding perspective, the effects of sequence activity on downstream reader networks remain relatively
unexplored. A key example is in the olfactory system, where odors activate stereotyped spatiotemporal
sequences of olfactory bulb glomeruli. The temporal structure of glomerular activity is thought to convey
information about odor quality to the rest of the brain. However, the sensitivity of populations of neurons in
downstream piriform cortex (PCx) to the precise timing of glomerular sequences is not known. Recent advances
in light patterning technologies have made it possible to optogenetically activate sequences of glomeruli with
high temporal precision, providing a means to investigate the independent impact of sequence timing on neural
activity in PCx. In my early graduate work, I built and validated a system to perform patterned optogenetic
stimulation of olfactory bulb glomeruli in awake mice. I established methods to use this system in tandem with
multichannel electrode recordings of large populations of neurons in PCx. In preliminary experiments, I have
observed that population activity in PCx is highly dependent on the precise timing of glomerular responses. In
this proposal, I will test the central hypothesis that intra-cortical recurrent circuits enforce the precise readout of
sequential inputs to PCx. In my first aim, I will determine how individual PCx cells integrate temporally distributed
inputs. Then, in aims 2 and 3, I will use cell-type specific optogenetics to delineate the respective contributions
of intra-cortical inhibition and recurrent excitation within PCx to these temporally specific responses. The results
of these experiments will provide a quantitative and mechanistic understanding of how neural sequence readout
is coordinated in cortical circuits.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10464988
- **Project number:** 1F31DC020373-01
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Robin Blazing
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $39,010
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-06-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10464988

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10464988, Investigating cortical readout of temporal codes for olfaction (1F31DC020373-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10464988. Licensed CC0.

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