International Research Fellow Award: Synaptic integration and propagation of layer I inputs to the soma of layer V pyramidal neurons of the prefrontal cortex.

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0076185GulledgeThe International Research Fellow Awards Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad.This award will provide Dr. Allan T. Gulledge with support for 24 months to work with Dr. Greg Stuart at the John Curtain School of Medical Research at Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.Pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex receive information from other cortical areas on distal dendrites. This project will investigate whether dendritic conductances amplify these inputs. To study how distal synaptic inputs are integrated within individual dendritic trees in the mammalian cortex, three hypotheses will be tested. 1) Layer I synaptic input is sufficient to induce Na+ and/or Ca+ spikes in the apical tufts of these neurons; 2) Layer I excitatory inputs modulate the pattern of action potential generation in these neurons by interacting with back propagating somatically evoked action potentials; and 3) Dopamine, a prominent neuromodulator in the prefrontal cortex inhibits the propagation of layer I excitory postsynaptic potentials toward the soma of these layer V cells.The host, Dr. Stuart has extensive experience in the field of synaptic integration in cortical neurons. He pioneered techniques for recording from dendritic processes of neurons in brain slices.