Biology subjects

Canzano, J. S.

Publications and source records attributed to Canzano, J. S..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Arousal-informed neuronal avalanches operate near criticality

Cortical networks are thought to operate near a "critical point" that optimizes information processing, but this has been difficult to test at single-cell resolution across large brain areas, as narrow fields of view miss overlapping neural avalanches, causing subcritical estimates, Using mesoscopic two-photon calcium imaging in awake mouse visual cortex, we recorded thousands of neurons and applied convolutional non-negative matrix factorization to decompose population activity into distinct, overlapping spatiotemporal avalanches. Rather than occupying a single dynamical state, we find that the cortex hosts multiple overlapping subnetworks distributed across a phase diagram at varying distances from the critical point. Arousal-linked avalanches propagate widely and operate nearest the critical point, showing optimized dynamic range, minimized algorithmic complexity, and maximized temporal entropy. Our results reveal how the awake brain tunes parallel near-critical subnetworks to support robust sensory computation.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Synergy mediates Long-Range Correlations in the Visual Cortex Near Criticality

Long-range correlations are a key signature of systems operating near criticality, indicating spatially-extended interactions across large distances. These extended dependencies underlie other emergent properties of critical dynamics, such as high susceptibility and multi-scale coordination. In the brain, along with other signatures of criticality, long-range correlations have been observed across various spatial scales, suggesting that the brain may operate near a critical point to optimise information processing and adaptability. However, the mechanisms underlying these long-range correlations remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the role of synergistic interactions in mediating long-range correlations in the visual cortex of awake mice. We leverage recent advances in mesoscale two-photon calcium imaging to analyse the activity of thousands of neurons across a wide field of view, allowing us to confirm the presence of long-range correlations at the level of neuronal populations. By applying the Partial Information Decomposition (PID) framework, we decompose the correlations into synergistic and redundant information interactions. Our results reveal that the increase in long-range correlations during visual stimulation is accompanied by a significant increase in synergistic rather than redundant interactions among neurons. Furthermore, we analyse a combined network formed by the union of synergistic and redundant interaction networks, and find that both types of interactions complement each other to facilitate efficient information processing across long distances. This complementarity is further enhanced during the visual stimulation. These findings provide new insights into the computational mechanisms that give rise to long-range correlations in neural systems and highlight the importance of considering different types of information interactions in understanding correlations in the brain.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Non-inertial scan angle multiplier for expanded fields-of-view

In many laser scan engines, mechanical inertia imposes a tradeoff between mirror diameter (mass) and scan speed (cycle time) and/or scan angle amplitude. Ultimately, this limits the field-of-view and/or scan speed in multiphoton and confocal imaging, laser-based manufacturing, and other applications. To push parameters past this inertia limit, we present a non-inertial (stationary) add-on unit that doubles the scan angle amplitude while preserving both the beam size and cycle time, thus doubling the etendue (optical invariant) and overall system throughput. We demonstrate its use in two-photon calcium imaging of neural activity in living mice. We also adapt the approach to present a phase doubling unit that doubles the maximum range of phase modulators. Finally, we describe further variants including generalizing the approach to Nx scan angle multiplication (N = 2, 3, 4, ...) with diffraction limited performance across a wide scan angle range and over a broad wavelength bandwidth. These non-inertial scan angle multipliers (called Nisam2x, 3x, ...) can expand the capabilities of a range of technologies including imaging, adaptive optics, sensing, marking, and manufacturing.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

In Vivo two-photon imaging and parasympathetic neuromodulation of pancreatic microvascular dynamics in rats

The pancreas has long been known to be densely innervated with parasympathetic, sympathetic, and visceral afferent fibers that are believed to exert significant influence on local endocrine activity and vascular function. Yet the extent to which these interactions depend on neurovascular dynamics in the normal and pathological states remain largely unknown. Herein we describe a new method for high resolution functional imaging of the rat pancreas in vivo. The method comprises a number of elements: a stability-optimized preparation in dorsal recumbency immobilizing several square centimeters of intact pancreas for upright fluorescent imaging while leaving access for concurrent manipulation of abdominal nerves, a full-frame two-photon imaging protocol and analysis pipeline supporting high-throughput (100+) monitoring of islet and acinar microvessel diameter dynamics simultaneously, and a first adaptation of random-access linescan imaging to the pancreas capable of tracking internal blood flow speeds up to 5 mm/s at 20 Hz across multiple microvessels. These methods were then deployed in concert to characterize the capacity of parasympathetic fibers to modulate pancreatic microvascular dynamics with compartment specificity. Electrical stimulation was repeatedly applied to the abdominal vagal trunks at various current magnitudes while imaging islet and acinar microvascular populations in the pancreas. Vagal stimulation consistently elicited increases in both islet and acinar capillary population motility in a current-dependent manner, with only acinar responsive vessels trending toward dilation. Further, we found vagal stimulation to profoundly and reversibly disrupt all traces of fast-wave vasomotor oscillation across a lobular arteriole-venule pair, and this was associated with a significant increase in average flow speed. Together, these findings add to mounting evidence that vagal projections exert tangible reversible influence on pancreatic microvascular activity and underscore the potential for new neuromodulation-based strategies to address diabetes, pancreatitis, or other diseases of the pancreas under autonomic nervous influence.

neuroscience↗