Prof. Dr. Alexander Groh

The cerebral cortex is the ‘cognitive’ headquarter of the brain and is instrumental for transforming sensory signals into action. But how does the cortex communicate with the rest of the brain to fulfil this function and how are impairments to this communication expressed in brain diseases? Our lab investigates the structure and the functional mechanisms underlying the interplay between the cortex and subcortical networks that give rise to cognitive functions, including sensori-motor transformations, salience encoding and pathological pain. We are leveraging a combination of in vivo deep-brain electrophysiology, optogenetics, synaptic physiology and behavioural approaches in the mouse model system.

Journal articles

Sumser A, Mease RA, Sakmann B, Groh A (2017) Organization and somatotopy of corticothalamic projections from L5B in mouse barrel cortex. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Mease RA, Kuner T, Fairhall AL, Groh A (2017) Multiplexed spike coding and adaptation in the thalamus. Cell Reports

Mease RA, Sumser A, Sakmann B, Groh A (2016) Cortical dependence of whisker responses in posterior-medial thalamus in vivo. Cerebral Cortex (with front cover)

Mease RA, Sumser A, Sakmann B, Groh A (2016) Corticothalamic spike transfer via the L5B-POm pathway in vivo. Cerebral Cortex (with front cover)

Mease RA, Markus Metz, Groh A (2016) Cortical sensory responses are enhanced by the higher-order thalamus. Cell Reports

Mease RA, Krieger P, Groh A (2014) Cortical control of adaptation and sensory relay mode in the thalamus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Groh A*, Bokor H*, Mease RA, Plattner VM, Hangya B, Stroh A, Deschenes M, Acsády L (2014) Convergence of Cortical and Sensory Driver Inputs on Single Thalamocortical Cells. Cerebral Cortex, *equal contribution.

Groh A, Krieger P (2013) Structure-Function Analysis of Genetically Defined Neuronal Populations. Cold Spring Harbor protocols (with front cover)

Stroh A, Adelsberger H, Groh A, Ruhlmann C, Fischer S, Schierloh A, Deisseroth K, Konnerth A (2013) Making waves: initiation and propagation of Corticothalamic Ca(2+) waves in vivo. Neuron

Groh A, Meyer HS, Schmidt EF, Heintz N, Sakmann B, Krieger P (2010) Cell-type specific properties of pyramidal neurons in neocortex underlying a layout that is modifiable depending on the cortical area. Cerebral Cortex (with front cover)

Groh A, de Kock CP, Wimmer VC, Sakmann B, Kuner T (2008) Driver or coincidence detector: modal switch of a corticothalamic giant synapse controlled by spontaneous activity and short-term depression. The Journal of Neuroscience

Wimmer VC, Horstmann H, Groh A, Kuner T (2006) Donut-like topology of synaptic vesicles with a central cluster of mitochondria wrapped into membrane protrusions: a novel structure-function module of the adult calyx of Held. The Journal of Neuroscience

Review articles

Groh A, Krieger P, Mease RA, Henderson L (2017) Acute and chronic pain processing in the thalamocortical system of humans and animal models. Neuroscience

Groh A, Mease RA, Krieger P (2017) Pain processing in the thalamocortical system. Neuroforum

Books / Book chapters

Krieger P and Groh A Editors (2015) Sensorimotor Integration in the Whisker System. ISBN 978-1-4939-2975-7, Springer

Groh A, Krieger, P. (2011) Structure–Function Analysis of Genetically Defined Neuronal Populations. Imaging in Neuroscience: A Laboratory Manual (Fritjof Helmchen et al., eds) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press