Image of the Day: Cortical Lightning Storm

Neurons in a mouse model of autism consistently fire in response to whisker agitation.

Written byThe Scientist
| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

Two-photon calcium imaging demonstrates neurons firing in the cortex of a mouse brain. PORTERA-CAILIAU LAB/UCLAIn a mouse strain designed to model symptoms of autism, neurons don’t attenuate their firing following repeated whisker agitation. In normal mice, however, this neuronal activity eventually quiets down.

See C. X. He et al., “Tactile defensiveness and impaired adaptation of neuronal activity in the Fmr1 knockout mouse model of autism,” The Journal of Neuroscience, doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0651-17.2017, 2017.

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here
Illustration of a developing fetus surrounded by a clear fluid with a subtle yellow tinge, representing amniotic fluid.
January 2026

What Is the Amniotic Fluid Composed of?

The liquid world of fetal development provides a rich source of nutrition and protection tailored to meet the needs of the growing fetus.

View this Issue
Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Beckman Coulter Logo
Skip the Wait for Protein Stability Data with Aunty

Skip the Wait for Protein Stability Data with Aunty

Unchained Labs
Graphic of three DNA helices in various colors

An Automated DNA-to-Data Framework for Production-Scale Sequencing

illumina

Products

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological's Launch of SwiftFluo® TR-FRET Kits Pioneers a New Era in High-Throughout Kinase Inhibitor Screening

SPT Labtech Logo

SPT Labtech enables automated Twist Bioscience NGS library preparation workflows on SPT's firefly platform

nuclera logo

Nuclera eProtein Discovery System installed at leading Universities in Taiwan

Brandtech Logo

BRANDTECH Scientific Introduces the Transferpette® pro Micropipette: A New Twist on Comfort and Control