Dr John Apergis-Schoute
Senior Lecturer in Psychology
School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
Cognition, Motivation, Neural Circuits, Functional Connectivity, Appetite, Memory
Interests
A good memory system is key to effective foraging. When searching for food animals are best served by remembering the location of different food sources (spatial memory), their nutritional content (appetitive memory) and the motor repertoire for securing and consuming a meal (motor memory) - all the while cautiously on the lookout for potential dangers that may have been previously experienced (fear memory). Foraging therefore is a key behaviour to gain insights into rodent cognition.My research builds on the premise that cognition has evolved to meet the competitive demand for resources and that by investigating different memory systems one can shed light on the interplay between these systems for understanding decision-making. To do so we use advanced recording and manipulation tools in transgenic rodents to monitor and interrogate distinct neural circuits related to food seeking and memory. Our research takes a bottom-up approach where brain anatomy informs potential pathways for investigating function using advanced recording and neural manipulation techniques in behaving animals.
Publications
Publications of specific relevance to the Centre for Brain and Behaviour2023
Garau C, Hayes J, Chiacchierini G, McCutcheon JE and Apergis-Schoute J (2023). Involvement of A13 dopaminergic neurons in prehensile movements but not reward in the rat. Current Biology, Elsevier vol. 33 (22), 4786-4797.e4. 09-10-2023
2022
Chiacchierini G, Naneix F, Apergis-Schoute J and McCutcheon JE (2022). Restriction of dietary protein in rats increases progressive-ratio motivation for protein. Physiology & Behavior, Elsevier vol. 254 11-06-2022
2021
Hayes J, Garau C, Chiacchierini G, Urcelay GP, McCutcheon JE and Apergis-Schoute J (2021). Predictive and motivational factors influencing anticipatory contrast: A comparison of contextual and gustatory predictors in food restricted and free-fed rats. Physiology & Behavior, Elsevier vol. 242 23-09-2021
Chiacchierini G, Naneix F, Peters KZ, Apergis-Schoute J, Snoeren EMS and McCutcheon JE (2021). Protein appetite drives macronutrient-related differences in ventral tegmental area neural activity. Journal of Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience vol. 41 (23) 29-04-2021
2019
Apergis-Schoute J, Burnstock G, Nusbaum MP, Parker D, Morales MA, Trudeau L-E and Svensson E (2019). Editorial: Neuronal Co-transmission. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, Frontiers vol. 13 26-03-2019
Svensson E, Apergis-Schoute J, Burnstock G, Nusbaum MP, Parker D and Schiöth HB (2019). General Principles of Neuronal Co-transmission: Insights From Multiple Model Systems. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, Frontiers vol. 12 21-01-2019
2018
Aitta-aho T, Hay YA, Phillips BU, Saksida LM, Bussey TJ, Paulsen O and Apergis-Schoute J (2018). Basal Forebrain and Brainstem Cholinergic Neurons Differentially Impact Amygdala Circuits and Learning-Related Behavior. Current Biology, Elsevier vol. 28 (16), 2557-2569.e4. 01-08-2018
2017
Cotel F, Fletcher LN, Croft SK-D, Apergis-Schoute J and Williams SR (2017). Cell Class-Dependent Intracortical Connectivity and Output Dynamics of Layer 6 Projection Neurons of the Rat Primary Visual Cortex. Cerebral Cortex, Oxford University Press (OUP) vol. 28 (7), 2340-2350. 07-06-2017
Aitta-aho T, Phillips BU, Pappa E, Hay YA, Harnischfeger F, Heath CJ, Saksida LM, Bussey TJ and Apergis-Schoute J (2017). Accumbal Cholinergic Interneurons Differentially Influence Motivation Related to Satiety Signaling. eNeuro, Society for Neuroscience vol. 4 (2), eneuro.0328-eneu16.2017. 01-03-2017
2016
Aitta-aho T, Pappa E, Burdakov D and Apergis-Schoute J (2016). Cellular activation of hypothalamic hypocretin/orexin neurons facilitates short-term spatial memory in mice. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Elsevier vol. 136, 183-188. 13-10-2016
Burke LK, Doslikova B, D'Agostino G, Greenwald-Yarnell M, Georgescu T, Chianese R, de Morentin PBM, Ogunnowo-Bada E, Cansell C, Valencia-Torres L, Garfield AS, Apergis-Schoute J, Lam DD, Speakman JR, Rubinstein M, Low MJ, Rochford JJ, Myers MG, Evans ML and Heisler LK (2016). Sex difference in physical activity, energy expenditure and obesity driven by a subpopulation of hypothalamic POMC neurons. Molecular Metabolism, Elsevier vol. 5 (3), 245-252. 22-01-2016
2015
García AP, Aitta-aho T, Schaaf L, Heeley N, Heuschmid L, Bai Y, Barrantes FJ and Apergis-Schoute J (2015). Nicotinic α4 Receptor-Mediated Cholinergic Influences on Food Intake and Activity Patterns in Hypothalamic Circuits. PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science (PLoS) vol. 10 (8) 06-08-2015
Apergis-Schoute J, Iordanidou P, Faure C, Jego S, Schöne C, Aitta-Aho T, Adamantidis A and Burdakov D (2015). Optogenetic Evidence for Inhibitory Signaling from Orexin to MCH Neurons via Local Microcircuits. Journal of Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience vol. 35 (14), 5435-5441. 08-04-2015
2014
Shipton OA, El-Gaby M, Apergis-Schoute J, Deisseroth K, Bannerman DM, Paulsen O and Kohl MM (2014). Left–right dissociation of hippocampal memory processes in mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences vol. 111 (42), 15238-15243. 22-09-2014
Schöne C, Apergis-Schoute J, Sakurai T, Adamantidis A and Burdakov D (2014). Coreleased Orexin and Glutamate Evoke Nonredundant Spike Outputs and Computations in Histamine Neurons. Cell Reports, Elsevier vol. 7 (3), 697-704. 24-04-2014
2012
Schöne C, Cao ZFH, Apergis-Schoute J, Adamantidis A, Sakurai T and Burdakov D (2012). Optogenetic Probing of Fast Glutamatergic Transmission from Hypocretin/Orexin to Histamine Neurons In Situ. Journal of Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience vol. 32 (36), 12437-12443. 05-09-2012
2011
Karnani MM, Apergis-Schoute J, Adamantidis A, Jensen LT, de Lecea L, Fugger L and Burdakov D (2011). Activation of Central Orexin/Hypocretin Neurons by Dietary Amino Acids. Neuron, Elsevier vol. 72 (4), 616-629. 01-11-2011
2010
Saleem AB, Chadderton P, Apergis-Schoute J, Harris KD and Schultz SR (2010). Methods for predicting cortical UP and DOWN states from the phase of deep layer local field potentials. Journal of Computational Neuroscience, Springer Nature vol. 29 (1-2), 49-62. 12-03-2010
2009
Seiler H, Zhang Y, Saleem AB, Bream P, Apergis-Schoute J and Schultz SR (2009). Maximum entropy decoding of multivariate neural spike trains. BMC Neuroscience, Springer Nature vol. 10 (Suppl 1) 13-07-2009
2008
Likhtik E, Popa D, Apergis-Schoute J, Fidacaro GA and Paré D (2008). Amygdala intercalated neurons are required for expression of fear extinction. Nature, Springer Nature vol. 454 (7204), 642-645. 01-07-2008
2007
Apergis-Schoute J, Pinto A and Paré D (2007). Muscarinic Control of Long-Range GABAergic Inhibition within the Rhinal Cortices. Journal of Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience vol. 27 (15), 4061-4071. 11-04-2007
2004
Pelletier JG, Apergis J and Paré D (2004). Low-Probability Transmission of Neocortical and Entorhinal Impulses Through the Perirhinal Cortex. Journal of Neurophysiology, American Physiological Society vol. 91 (5), 2079-2089. 01-05-2004
Sullivan GM, Apergis J, Bush DEA, Johnson LR, Hou M and Ledoux JE (2004). Lesions in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis disrupt corticosterone and freezing responses elicited by a contextual but not by a specific cue-conditioned fear stimulus. Neuroscience, Elsevier vol. 128 (1), 7-14. 01-01-2004
2003
Sullivan GM, Apergis J, Gorman JM and LeDoux JE (2003). Rodent doxapram model of panic: behavioral effects and c-Fos immunoreactivity in the amygdala. Biological Psychiatry, Elsevier vol. 53 (10), 863-870. 01-05-2003
2001
Repa JC, Muller J, Apergis J, Desrochers TM, Zhou Y and LeDoux JE (2001). Two different lateral amygdala cell populations contribute to the initiation and storage of memory. Nature Neuroscience, Springer Nature vol. 4 (7), 724-731. 01-07-2001