Naoya Takahashi

Sensory perception is a dynamic and flexible process rather than static. Identical stimuli can be perceived and interpreted differently depending on one’s mental state and given contexts. The goal of Takahashi’s team is to understand the neuronal mechanisms underlying sensory perception and cognitive control in mice. Specifically, they investigate how the somatosensory cortex processes incoming tactile inputs from the body parts, and how different brain states and contexts influence these processes.

Since the creation of his team in 2020 at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience within the Bordeaux Neurocampus, Naoya Takahashi has established two research axes: 1) elucidating the cellular mechanisms underlying tactile detection and brain state, and 2) exploring cortical somatosensory processing in the context of prosthetic body extension.

The Takahashi team combines diverse techniques such as in vivo two-photon and one-photon imaging, electrophysiology, optogenetics, and psychophysical analysis of mouse tactile behavior. Their interdisciplinary approach allows them to examine cortical activity at different scales (from the subcellular to network level) in awake behaving mice.Their research aims to provide insights into the fundamental principles of cortical somatosensory processing and their impact on perception of tactile stimuli and behavior. Furthermore, the results identified by the Takahashi research team can provide new insights into the understanding of neurological disorders associated with perceptual or attentional deficits, as well as into clinical applications such as neuroprosthetics.