In the 5 April edition of Science: A "light switch" in the brain illuminates neural networks

A group of Kavli researchers, led by Sheng-Jia Zhang and Jing Ye, have used a combined optogenetic-electrophysiological strategy to determine the functional identity of entorhinal cells with output to the place-cell population in the hippocampus.

A large number of responsive cells were grid cells, but short-latency firing was also induced in border cells and head-direction cells, as well as cells with irregular or nonspatial firing correlates, which suggests that place fields may be generated by convergence of signals from a broad spectrum of entorhinal functional cell types.

The results of their efforts are presented in an article in the 5 April issue of Science magazine.

A popularized version of the article is available here