Information Processing in the Diencephalon of Gymnotiform Fish

神经科学中的一个关键问题是如何处理感觉信息来控制适应性行为反应。在弱电鱼身上发现了一个很好的系统来研究这个问题。这些鱼有一个像电鳗一样的电器官，但弱得多，并产生特定波形的周期性放电。这些鱼也有电感觉系统，可以探测到鱼本身或附近其他电鱼产生的电场。电感觉系统用于定位，信号模式用于通信。我们现在知道，这些动物的大脑处理信号的方式是利用某种空间地图，类似于视觉系统，利用某种时间分析，类似于听觉系统。这个项目的重点是大脑中的一组特定的神经细胞，或细胞核，位于中脑的空间表征和产生电信号行为的细胞核之间的界面，如调节电器官放电模式的预起搏器核。解剖学和生理学技术被用来标记生理上识别的神经细胞，以追踪它们在该回路中的功能连接。行为相关的刺激范式将被用来测试单个神经元在控制特定行为反应的通路上的反应特性。在这个模型系统中，将复杂的感觉输入整合到离散的行为输出的电路的澄清将为神经科学提供重大进展，对感觉系统、运动系统、集成和行为具有重要意义。

A key question in neuroscience is how sensory information is processed to control adaptive behavioral responses. An excellent system in which to study this issue is found in fish called weakly electric fish. These fish have an electric organ like that in the electric eel, but much weaker, and produce periodic discharges of particular waveforms. These fish also have electrosensory systems that detect the electric field produced by the fish itself or by other nearby electric fish. The electrosensory system is used for orientation and the pattern of signals is used for communication. The brain of these animals is now known to process the signals using certain kinds of spatial maps, comparable to those in the visual system, and using certain kinds of temporal analysis, comparable to processes in the auditory system. This project has its focus on a particular group of nerve cells, or nuclei, in the brain, located at an interface between the spatial representation of the midbrain, and the nuclei that produce the electric signalling behavior such as the prepacemaker nucleus, which modulate the discharge pattern of the electric organ. Anatomical and physiological techniques are used to label physiologically identified nerve cells to trace their functional connections in this circuit. Behaviorally relevant stimulus paradigms will be used to test the response properties of individual neurons along pathways involved in control of specific behavioral responses. Clarification of this circuitry for integrating complex sensory input into a discrete behavioral output in this model system will provide major advances for neuroscience, with importance to sensory systems, motor systems, integration, and behavior.