Alan J. Emanuel

Hyperexcitable primary somatosensory cortex in the MitoPark mouse model of Parkinson's disease

The paper investigates somatosensory cortex changes in MitoPark mice, finding hyperexcitability in regular-spiking neurons and desynchronization in fast-spiking neurons linked to dopamine neuron degeneration.

Divergence of Melanopsin's Intrinsic Properties and Downstream Actions

The paper shows that melanopsin's downstream effects can diverge from its intrinsic wavelength sensitivity due to persistent activity and adaptation.

Synchrony within Aβ mechanoreceptor subtypes governs signal propagation to primary somatosensory cortex

The paper investigates how synchrony in Aβ mechanoreceptor subtypes affects signal propagation to primary somatosory cortex, finding that synchronous activation of SAI-LTMRs is critical for sustained cortical responses, while RAI-LTMRs produce robust responses regardless of synchrony.

Fast-conducting mechanonociceptors uniquely engage reflexive and affective pain circuitry to drive protective responses

The paper identifies A{delta}-HTMRs as fast-conducting mechanonociceptors that drive protective pain responses through unique spinal reflex circuits.

An optogenetics-compatible red fluorescent calcium indicator with negligible blue light photoactivation

The paper develops a red fluorescent calcium indicator, ScaRCaMP, that is compatible with optogenetics due to its high blue-light photostability.

Spiking networks that efficiently process dynamic sensory features explain receptor information mixing in somatosensory cortex

The paper models how spiking neural networks efficiently process dynamic sensory features across layers, showing that feature mixing in neurons reduces metabolic cost and matches empirical observations in the mouse somatosensory system.

Nerve injury disrupts temporal processing in the spinal cord dorsal horn through alterations in PV+ interneurons

This study shows nerve injury disrupts temporal firing patterns in spinal cord dorsal horn neurons, driven by PV+ interneurons, contributing to mechanical allodynia.

Mechanoreceptor signal convergence and transformation in the dorsal horn flexibly shape a diversity of outputs to the brain

This study shows that spinal cord dorsal horn neurons integrate inputs from multiple mechanoreceptor subtypes, leading to diverse mechanical response profiles and influencing tactile representations in the brain.

Mechanoreceptor synapses in the brainstem shape the central representation of touch

The paper shows that mechanoreceptor synapses in the brainstem develop differently based on their proximity to glabrous skin, shaping the central representation of touch.