Circuit Mapping
The cerebral cortex evolved to guide behavior by extracting salient sensory signals. These remarkable functions are executed in cortical modules that share many features but also contain significant specializations. The function of these specializations has remained an open question, but modern tools to study circuits have begun to reveal their significance. Using circuit mapping techniques like Laser Scanning Photostimulation and channelrhodopsin assisted circuit mapping, we unravel the unique circuit motifs embedded in stereotyped modules that enable the Auditory Cortex to perform communicative functions.