The "Where" and "Who" in Brain Science: Probing Brain Networks with Local Perturbations
The "Where" and "Who" in Brain Science: Probing Brain Networks with Local Perturbations
复制标题
脑科学中的“哪里”和“谁”：用局部扰动探测大脑网络
DOI：
10.1007/s12559-011-9122-3
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发表时间：
2012
影响因子：
5.4
通讯作者：
C. Galizia
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Cyrille C. Girardin;C. Galizia
在生物学的还原论方法中，“必要性”和“充分性”这两个重要问题对科学进步至关重要。例如，为了显示特定基因的作用，需要考虑敲除突变体（“必要性”）和拯救突变体（“充分性”）。然而，这些概念在组合网络情况下失败。当涌现的大脑特性来自多个大脑区域的相互作用，冗余的路径导致弹性，那么这些区域中没有一个可以被识别为“必要”或“足够”。“在这里，我们使用一个相对较小规模的网络-肾小球气味-活动图-作为冗余组合编码机制的模型。特别是，我们通过抑制性和兴奋性神经药理学注射对功能网络进行局部干扰，以探测由此产生的网络扰动。体内钙成像为我们提供了真实的时间访问大部分的网络活动。例如，我们观察到，这些局部扰动可以在大脑的远处产生生理变化。这对我们理解神经网络具有重要意义，特别是关于特定能力“在哪里”的问题-例如，意识-是位于大脑中，“谁”（哪个细胞）参与。一个相关的重要问题是函数“如何”出现，即，哪些神经网络是这个功能的基础？这个问题可以通过对网络的功能和解剖学研究来解决。
In a reductionistic approach to biology, the two important questions of "necessity" and "sufficiency" have been tremendously important for scientific progress. For example, to show the role of a particular gene, both knock-out mutants ("necessity") and rescue mutants ("sufficiency") need to be considered. These concepts, however, fail in combinatorial network situations. When emergent brain properties arise from the interaction of multiple brain areas, and redundant paths lead to resilience, then none of these areas can be identified as either "necessary" or "sufficient." Here, we use a relatively small-scale network—the glomerular odor-activity map—as a model for redundant combinatorial coding mechanisms. In particular, we use local interference with the functioning network with inhibitory and excitatory neuropharmacological injections to probe the resulting network perturbations. In vivo calcium imaging affords us with access to much of the network activity in real time. We observed, for example, that these local perturbations can generate physiological changes in distant places of the brain. This has important implications for our understanding of neural networks, in particular about the question of "where" a particular capacity—e.g., consciousness—is localized in the brain, and "who" (which cell) is involved. A related important question is "how" a function emerges, i.e., which neural networks are underlying this function? This issue can be addressed using combined functional and anatomical study of the network.