2026-08-19 理化学研究所,東京大学,兵庫県立大学,生命創成探究センター,生理学研究所
本研究の概要
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.riken.jp/press/2026/20260819_1/index.html#wrapper
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeb4666
上層皮質の局所的に集積したニューロンの強い結合が、統合失調症に関連する聴覚異常検出の根底にある Strong connections of locally clustered neurons in the upper-layer cortex underlie schizophrenia-related auditory deviance detection
Shunsuke Mizutani, Yasuhiro Go, Atsu Aiba, Kiyoto Kasai, and Shigeo Okabe
Science Advances Published:14 Aug 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb4666
Abstract
The detection of unexpected sounds, or auditory deviance detection, is thought to be achieved by comparing prediction signals and sensory inputs in the auditory cortex. This process is markedly impaired in patients with schizophrenia. However, the local circuit properties underlying deviance detection, together with their dysfunction in schizophrenia-related conditions, remain poorly understood. We used two-photon calcium imaging to monitor the population activity of cortical neurons during auditory deviance detection. The deviance-detecting component was predominant in layer 2/3 neurons of the higher-order auditory cortex. The deviance-detecting cells were spatially clustered, exhibited robust synchronization, and constitutively expressed immediate-early genes. In the Del(1.5 megabase)/+ mouse model of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a model of schizophrenia, deviance-detecting activity in the upper-layer network was disrupted, accompanied by dysregulated gene expression and selective loss of dendritic spines in immediate-early gene–positive neurons. Our findings support the hypothesis that ensemble activation of this neuronal subpopulation amplifies unexpected inputs, driving error signals that propagate to higher-order cortical areas.
