In vivo visualization and control of patholigical changes in neural circuits

A method for measuring and modifying nervous system function, the method comprising:

• identifying a target cell population in a nervous system of a living organism, the living organism having a particular disease;
• modifying a function of the target cell population by causing cells of the target cell population within the diseased living organism to express a plurality of microbial light-responsive trans-membrane conductance regulators from genetic constructs comprising a transcriptional promoter specific to the target cell population;
• after modifying the function of the target cell population in the diseased organism, delivering targeted light to the target cell population in the diseased organism;
• modifying a function of the target cell population in one or more additional living organisms by causing cells of the target cell population within the one or more additional living organisms to express the plurality of microbial light-responsive trans-membrane conductance regulators from genetic constructs comprising a transcriptional promoter specific to the target cell population, wherein the one or more additional living organisms do not have the particular disease;
• after modifying the function of the target cell population in the one or more additional living organisms, delivering targeted light to the target cell population in the one or more additional living organism;
• at a computing system having memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory:
• measuring responses of the nervous system of the diseased organism to the targeted light using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), wherein measuring comprises:
• acquiring fMRI image frames;
• reconstructing the fMRI image frames using a graphics processor (GPU);
• and
• motion correcting the reconstructed fMRI image frames using parallel processing operations of the GPU;
• mapping for the diseased organism neural circuit activity locations and timings based on the measured responses of the nervous system;
• obtaining neural mapping information from the one or more additional living organisms based on responses of the nervous systems of the one or more additional living organisms to the targeted light;
• comparing the mapped neural circuit activity locations and timings with the obtained neural mapping information;
• and
• profiling the particular disease based on the comparison of the identified neural circuit activity and locations with the obtained neural mapping information;
• and
• determining based on the profile one or more therapeutics that combat the particular disease.