Flexible learning and memory depend on cortical circuits that can adapt to changing rules and contexts. I will present recent work showing that 2-compartment pyramidal neurons in the frontal cortex provide a cellular basis for this flexibility.

Using a rule-switching behavioural paradigm, we found that dendritic inhibition in layer 1 selectively disrupts apical integration and blocks the acquisition of new rules, while leaving established representations intact. Two-photon imaging revealed that choice-related synaptic inputs cluster on apical dendrites, and that such clustering correlates with successful learning.

These findings suggest that the compartmental structure of pyramidal neurons is crucial for integrating contextual signals with sensory input, enabling adaptive behaviour. I will argue that dendritic computation is a key mechanism by which the frontal cortex links learning, memory, and decision-making.

More information:

• https://www.projekte.hu-berlin.de/en/larkum/people/matthew-larkum-en