Clemens Boucsein
- Kumar A, Vlachos I, Aertsen A and Boucsein C (2013)
The challenges of understanding brain function by specific manipulation of neuronal sub-populations.
TiNS (in press). - Reimer ICG, Staude B, Boucsein C and Rotter S (2013)
A newmethod to infer higher-order spike correlations from membrane potentials.
J Comput Neurosci DOI 10.1007/s10827-013-0446-8. - Deger M, Helias M, Boucsein C and Rotter S (2012)
Statistical properties of superimposed stationary spike trains.
J Comput Neurosci 32:443–463. - Boucsein C, Nawrot MP, Schnepel P and Aertsen A (2011)
Beyond the cortical column: abundance and physiology of horizontal connections imply a strong role for inputs from the surround.
Front Neurosci 5 :32. - Fucke T, Suchanek D, Nawrot MP , Seamari Y, Heck DH, Aertsen A and Boucsein C (2011)
Stereotypic spatio-temporal activity patterns during slow-wave activity in the neocortex.
J Neurophysiology 106: 3035-3044. - Franke F, Natora M, Boucsein C, Munk MHJ, Obermayer K (2009)
Online spike detection and spike sorting capable of instantaneous resolution of overlapping spikes.
J Comp Neurosci, DOI 10.1007/s10827-009-0163-5 - Boucsein C, Tetzlaff T, Meier R, Aertsen A and Naundorf B (2009)
Dynamical response properties of neocortical neuron ensembles: Multiplicative versus additive noise.
J Neurosci 29 (4): 1006-1010. - Nawrot MP, Schnepel P, Aertsen A and Boucsein C (2009) Precisely timed signal transmission in neocortical networks with reliable intermediate-range projections. Frontiers Neural Circuits 3 (1): 1-11.
- Nawrot MP, Boucsein C, Rodriguez-Molina V, Riehle A, Aertsen A and Rotter S (2008)
Measurement of variability dynamics in cortical spike trains
J Neurosci. Methods 169, 374-390. - Nawrot M, Boucsein C, Rodriguez-Molina V, Gruen S, Rotter S (2007)
Serial correlation of inter-spike intervals in cortical neurons in vivo and in vitro.
Neurocomputing 70 (10-12): 1717-1722. - Kojima H, Boucsein C, Aertsen A and Tsukada M (2006)
Rapid focal laser uncaging in acute brain slices.
IEEE/OSA J Lightwave Tech. 6:66-74. - Boucsein C, Nawrot M, Rotter S, Aertsen A, Heck D (2005)
Controlling synaptic input patterns in vitro by dynamic photo stimulation.
J Neurophysiol: 94: 2948-2958. - Boucsein C, Zacharias R, Farber K, Pavlovic S, Hanisch UK, Kettenmann H (2003)
Purinergic receptors on microglial cells: functional expression in acute brain slices and modulation of microglial activation in vitro.
Eur J Neurosc: 17(11): 2267-76. - Schipke CG, Boucsein C, Ohlemeyer C, Kirchhoff F, Kettenmann H (2002)
Astrocyte Ca2+ waves trigger responses in microglial cells in brain slices.
FASEB J: 16(2): 255-257. - Boucsein C, Nolte C. and Kettenmann H (2000)
Electrophysiological properties of microglial cells in normal and pathologic rat brain slices.
Eur J Neurosc: 12(6): 2049-58.
- Aertsen A, Boucsein C, Heck D, Nawrot M, Rotter S (2010)
Dynamic Simultaneous Multisite Photostimulation (DSMP).
Patent No. EP1762877-B1 (2010-11-17) with European Patent Office (EPO).
Dr. Clemens Boucsein
Assistant Professor
Institute for Biology III
Neurobiology and Biophysics
Albert-Ludwigs-University
Schaenzlestr. 1
79104 Freiburg
Germany
Tel +49 (0)761 203 2862
Fax +49 (0)761 203 2860
boucsein@biologie.uni-freiburg.de
Research interests
We are interested in single neuron reliability and precision, and the role they play for network dynamics and information processing within the neocortex. Our approach is to experimentally study mechanisms underlying precise spike formation and fast information transfer in single cells and small networks in acute brain slices. These studies suggest that pyramidal neurons can integrate synaptic input temporally precise, and transfer information with high temporal fidelity. To test the implications of these findings for information processing, we established recordings from primary visual cortex of rats in vivo during the presentation of different visual stimuli. We are working in close collaboration with various theoretically working labs, incorporating their modeling concepts into our experimental design and delivering experimental data to validate and refine upcoming models of neocortical network operation.
Experimental techniques
To cover aspects of precision and reliability from the single cell to the network level, we use three different experimental approaches. Spike dynamics and stimulus transfer are studied with the help of current injections into identified neurons in acute brain slices. Small cortical networks are investigated by dynamic photo stimulation in slices, a technique that allows to activate a set of presynaptic cells in a defined spatio-temporal pattern. The in vitro studies are complemented by in vivo recordings from V1 of anesthetized rats with a combination of intra- and extracellular electrodes.
Publications