We focus on the causal relationship between perception and neural activity at the single-cell, micro-circuit and network levels

Masanori Murayama

Masanori Murayama, Ph.D.

Team Director, Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology
masanori.murayama@riken.jp

Research Overview

Little is known about how neurons integrate feedback and feed forward information for animal behavior. To understand it, we focus on the causal relationship between behavior and neural activity at the single-cell, micro-circuit and network levels. We use multidisciplinary techniques including 2-photon microscopy, fiberoptic imaging, macro-brain imaging, optogenetic techniques and electrophysiological recordings, in awake and anesthetized animals. We are also interested in developing new techniques to discover novel neural activities that can be used for understanding brain functions and animal behavior.

Main Research Fields

Complex Systems

Related Research Fields

Biological Sciences

Keywords

Selected Publications

  1. Saito Y., Osako Y., Odagawa M., Oisi Y., Matsubara C., Kato S., Kobayashi K., Morita M., Johansen JP., Murayama M.:
    “Amygdalo-cortical dialogue underlies memory enhancement by emotional association”
    Neuron 113(6) 931-948 e9(2025)
    10.1016/j.neuron.2025.01.001
  2. Ota K., Oisi Y., Suzuki T., Ikeda M., Ito Y., Ito T., Uwamori H., Kobayashi K., Kobayashi M., Odagawa M., Matsubara C., Kuroiwa Y., Horikoshi M., Matsushita J., Hioki H., Ohkura M., Nakai J., Oizumi M., Miyawaki A., Aonishi T., Ode T., Murayama M.:
    “Fast, cell-resolution, contiguous-wide two-photon imaging to reveal functional network architectures across multi-modal cortical areas”
    Neuron 109(11) 1810-1824.e9(2021)
    10.1016/j.neuron.2021.03.032
  3. Miyamoto D., Hirai D., Fung CC., Inutsuka A., Odagawa M., Suzuki T., Boehringer R., Adaikkan C., Matsubara C., Matsuki N., Fukai T., McHugh TJ., Yamanaka A., Murayama M.:
    "Top-down cortical input during NREM sleep consolidates perceptual memory"
    Science, 352(6291):1315-8. (2016).
    10.1126/science.aaf0902
  4. Hirasawa N., Yamada K., and Murayama M.:
    "Brief hind paw stimulation is sufficient to induce delayed somatosensory discrimination learning in C57BL/6 mice."
    Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 301, 15 March 2016, Pages 102–109
    10.1016/j.bbr.2015.12.024
  5. Miyamoto D., Murayama M.:
    "The fiber-optic imaging and manipulation of neural activity during animal behavior."
    Neuroscience Research. H 103 1-9 (2016)
    10.1016/j.neures.2015.09.004
  6. Manita S., Suzuki T., Homma C., Matsumoto T., Odagawa M., Yamada K., Ota K., Matsubara C., Inutsuka A., Sato M., Ohkura M., Yamanaka A., Yanagawa Y., Nakai J., Hayashi Y., Larkum M.E., Murayama M.:
    "A Top-Down Cortical Circuit for Accurate Sensory Perception."
    Neuron 86(5) 1304-1316 (2015)
    10.1016/j.neuron.2015.05.006
  7. Palmer LM., Murayama M., Larkum ME.:
    "Inhibitory Regulation of Dendritic Activity in vivo."
    Front Neural Circuits. 6:26, (2012)
    10.3389/fncir.2012.00026
  8. Palmer LM., Schulz JM., Murphy SC., Ledergerber D., Murayama M., *Larkum ME.:
    "The Cellular Basis of GABAb-Mediated Interhemispheric Inhibition"
    Science 24;335(6071):989-93, (2012)
    10.1126/science.1217276
  9. Lütcke H.*, Murayama M.*, Hahn T., Margolis DJ., Astori S., Zum Alten Borgloh SM., Göbel W., Yang Y., Tang W., Kügler S., Sprengel R., Nagai T., Miyawaki A., Larkum ME., Helmchen F., Hasan MT (* Equal contribution).:
    "Optical recording of neuronal activity with a genetically-encoded calcium indicator in anesthetized and freely moving mice"
    Frontiers in Neural Circuits, 4;9 (2010)
    10.3389/fncir.2010.00009
  10. Murayama M., Pérez-Garci E., Nevian T., Bock T., Senn W., Larkum ME.:
    “Dendritic encoding of sensory stimuli controlled by deep cortical interneurons”
    Nature 457(7233) 1137-1141 (2009)
    10.1038/nature07663

Lab Members

Principal investigator

Masanori Murayama
Team Director

Core members

Yasuhiro Oisi
Research Scientist
Hiroyuki Uwamori
Research Scientist
Ikumi Oomoto
Special Postdoctoral Researcher
Kotaro Ishizu
Special Postdoctoral Researcher
Yusuke Atsumi
Research Associate
Tomoki Osuka
Research Associate
Toshiki Tani
Technical Scientist
Maya Odagawa
Technical Staff I
Chihiro Honma
Technical Staff I
Tomomitsu Karaki
Technical Staff I
Yuri Shinomoto
Technical Staff I
Chie Matsubara
Technical Staff I
Midori Kobayashi
Technical Staff II
Mami Suzuki
Assistant