BARREL CORTEX: WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?
BARREL CORTEX: WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?
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DOI：
10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.05.009
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发表时间：
2018-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.3
通讯作者：
Schwarz, Cornelius
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Stuettgen, Maik C.;Schwarz, Cornelius
以桶状皮层为主要结构的啮齿类动物触须系统已经发展成为研究感觉加工的一个重要模型系统。然而，尽管收集了大量关于桶状皮层神经活动模式及其电路和可塑性的数据，但这种结构所需的精确行为和认知操作仍然难以捉摸。桶皮质的功能包括探测、辨别、在探索性运动或主动触摸过程中协调触须运动以及联想学习。离开的定义，究竟是什么构成了一个功能，以及如何参与的大脑区域在一个特定的任务可以确定，我们在这里审查的参数表明桶皮质参与这些功能。我们的结论是，目前可用的数据并不明确支持桶皮层在核心感觉运动功能，如感觉处理检测和歧视或运动处理运动的关键作用。相反，随着认知负荷的增加，桶状皮层对行为的贡献似乎变得越来越重要。我们认为，我们的无知桶皮质参与行为的部分原因是缺乏基本的实验采用永久性损伤的桶场，以及忽视的程序参数决定认知负荷的行为任务。我们相信，在未来的实验中密切关注这些因素将有助于最终发现桶状皮层实际上有什么好处。本文是特刊的一部分，题为：桶皮质。(C)2017年IBRO。由爱思唯尔有限公司出版。保留所有权利。
The rodent whisker system, with barrel cortex as its most prominent structure, has evolved into a powerful model system to study sensory processing. However, despite the vast amount of data collected on barrel cortex neural activity patterns, as well as its circuitry and plasticity, the precise behavioral and cognitive operations for which this structure is needed are still elusive. Proposed functions of barrel cortex include detection, discrimination, coordination of whisker movements during exploratory locomotion or active touch, and associative learning. Departing from a definition of what exactly constitutes a function and how the involvement of a brain area in a specific task can be established conclusively, we here review the arguments suggesting barrel cortex is involved in either of these functions. We conclude that currently available data do not unequivocally support a crucial role of barrel cortex in core sensorimotor functions like sensory processing for detection and discrimination or motor processing for movement. Instead, it appears that barrel cortex' contribution to behavior becomes ever more critical for performance with increasing cognitive load. We argue that our ignorance about barrel cortex' involvement in behavior is partly due to the lack of basic experiments employing permanent lesioning of the barrel field, as well as neglect of procedural parameters determining cognitive load in behavioral tasks. It is our belief that close attention to these factors in future experiments will help to eventually discover what barrel cortex is actually good for. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Barrel Cortex. (C) 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.