Neural Correlates of Vibrissa Resonance

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Rodent whiskers, called vibrissae, are part of a highly specialized tactile sensory system on the face that detects textures of objects. The individual whiskers are 'mapped' by their location into the somatosensory cortex of the brain. Recent work suggests that an individual vibrissa has resonant vibration properties from the biomechanical resonance of the whiskers length and stiffness, along with the adjustable stiffness of the tissues surrounding its base. This project uses physics, mathematical modeling, electrophysiology and anatomy in a novel multidisciplinary combination to test whether these features may provide a new alternative interpretation of the spatial map of whisker input to the brain. If each whisker has a tuned preference or amplification for certain frequencies, then the spatial map in the brain might also be a frequency map for the tactile system, in some ways analgous to the frequency maps found in the central auditory system. Results will be important for a new interpretation of sensory coding of the whisker somatosensory system, and are likely to have an impact on interpreting central coding and mapping in other sensory systems. In addition, this project has an impact on graduate and undergraduate cross-disciplinary training and education by incorporating a strong mathematical component into this biological study.