Dr Matt Jones

Summary

Rhythmic neuronal activity reflects the coordination and interactions of networks of neurons during complex cognitive processes and behaviour. Accordingly, many psychiatric disorders are associated with impaired neural synchrony.

We use specialized 'tetrode' electrodes to record simultaneously from large groups of neurons, measuring synchrony of network activities in anatomically and functionally related circuits, both during normal behaviour and in models of diseases like schizophrenia, Down syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease. 

Activities / Findings

• Hippocampal-prefrontal-parietal interactions over the course of learning
• Modelling rhythmic network interactions during decision-making (with Rafal Bogacz, Computer Science)
• Synaptic plasticity during sleep (with Jack Mellor)

• Coordination of hippocampal-prefrontal activities during spatial learning and memory and sleep in a rat neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia. Read more >
• Effects of psychotomimetic drugs on hippocampal-prefrontal network activity
• Effects of cannabinoid receptor activation on coordinated limbic-cortical activity and cognition

• Electrophysiological and behavioural characterisation of a transchromosomic model of Down Syndrome. Read more >
• Frontal cortical neurophysiological signatures of response inhibition in a stop-signal task (with Lawrence Wilkinson, Cardiff)
• Network activity in transgenic models of neurodegenerative diseases (with Andy Randall). Read more >

Teaching

Director, M.Res. in Systems Neuroscience

Final Year Element 2A (Brain & Behaviour)

Bristol Centre for Complexity Science Neuroscience Module

Keywords

• Neuronal networks
• learning
• memory

Skills

• Schizophrenia
• Down syndrome
• depression

Processes and functions

• Learning and memory
• Decision-making
• Sleep

Methodologies

• Tetrode recordings
• behavioural training
• optogenetics

Memberships

Organisations

School of Physiology and Pharmacology

Other sites

• Neuroscience
• Phys-pharm

Links

• home page

Selected publications

• McHugh, T, Jones, M, Quinn, J, Balthasar, N, Coppari, R, Elmquist, J, Lowell, B, Fanselow, M, Wilson, M & Tonegawa, S 2007, ‘Dentate Gyrus NMDA Receptors Mediate Rapid Pattern Separation in the Hippocampal Network’. Science, vol 317 (5834)., pp. 94 - 99
• Jones, M & Wilson, M 2005, ‘Theta rhythms coordinate hippocampal-prefrontal interactions in a spatial memory task’. PLoS Biology, vol 3 (12)., pp. e402
• Jones, M, Peckham, H, Errington, M, Bliss, T & Routtenberg, A 2001, ‘Synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus of awake C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice: interstrain differences and parallels with behavior’. Hippocampus, vol 11 (4)., pp. 391 - 396
• Jones, M, Errington, M, French, P, Fine, A, Bliss, T, Garel, S, Charnay, P, Bozon, B, Laroche, S & Davis, S 2001, ‘A requirement for the immediate early gene Zif268 in the expression of late LTP and long-term memories’. Nature Neuroscience, vol 4 (3)., pp. 289 - 296

Read more >

Recent publications

• Lloyd, K, Becker, N, Jones, MW & Bogacz, R 2012, ‘Learning to use working memory: a reinforcement learning gating model of rule acquisition in rats’. Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, vol 6.
• Phillips, K, Bartsch, U, McCarthy, A, Edgar, D, Tricklebank, M, Wafford, K & Jones, MW 2012, ‘Decoupling of sleep-dependent cortical and hippocampal interactions in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia’. Neuron, vol 76.
• Kucewicz, M, Tricklebank, M, Bogacz, R & Jones, M 2011, ‘Dysfunctional Prefrontal Cortical Network Activity and Interactions following Cannabinoid Receptor Activation’. Journal of Neuroscience, vol 31., pp. 15560 - 15568
• Jones, M & McHugh, T 2011, ‘Updating hippocampal representations: CA2 joins the circuit’. Trends in Neurosciences, vol 34., pp. 526 - 535
• Phillips, K, Cotel, M, McCarthy, A, Edgar, D, Tricklebank, M, O'Neill, M, Jones, M & Wafford, K 2011, ‘Differential effects of NMDA antagonists on high frequency and gamma EEG oscillations in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia’. Neuropharmacology.
• Sadowski, J, Jones, M & Mellor, J 2011, ‘Ripples Make Waves: Binding Structured Activity and Plasticity in Hippocampal Networks’. Neural Plasiticity, vol 2011., pp. 1 - 11

View complete publications list in the University of Bristol publications system

Networks & contacts

• Rafal Bogacz (Computer Science)
• Nick Whiteley (Maths)
• Luca Giuggioli (Biology/Eng Maths)
• Elizabeth Fisher (UCL)
• Victor Tybulewicz (NIMR)
• Jenny Morton (University of Cambridge)
• Mark Tricklebank Keith Wafford Keith Phillips (Eli Lilly & Co)
• Thomas Steckler John Talpos Pieter Peeters (Janssen Pharmaceutica)
• Rosalyn Moran (Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging)
• Lawrence Wilkinson Trevor Humby (Cardiff University)