Brain rhythms control microglial response and cytokine expression via NFkB signaling

Microglia, the brain's primary immune cells, transform in response to changes in sensory or neural activity, like sensory deprivation. However, little is known about how specific frequencies of neural activity, impact microglia, immune signaling, or other pathways within the brain. Here , we exposed mice to 1h of audio/visual noninvasive flickering sensory stimulation (flicker) to induce electrical neural activity at different frequencies: 40Hz within the gamma band and 20Hz within the beta band. We then isolated RNA from the visual cortices and used bulk RNAseq to quantify pathway changes. Overall design: Wild-type male mice, right visual cortices. Three experimental groups: ambient light control, 20Hz audiovisual flicker, and 40Hz audiovisual flicker (1hr, n=4)