Collaborative Research: Role of Neuronal Activity in Visually Guided Escape Behaviors

合作研究：神经元活动在视觉引导逃生行为中的作用

• 批准号: 0517262
• 负责人: John Wolfe
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Houston
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-09-01 至 2009-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0517262&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Role; Neuronal; Activity

Avoidance of collisions is critical to survival and the activity of sensory and motor neurons thought to be involved in visually-guided escape has been studied in several species. However, the mechanisms by which visual information processed in sensory areas leads to the preparation and execution of escape remains poorly understood. The current project addresses this question by studying escape of freely behaving locusts in response to simulated objects approaching on a collision course and by coupling these studies with electrophysiological recordings of neuronal activity both in restrained and freely moving animals. The locust will be studied because the neural pathways involved in generating escape behavior are well characterized and are accessible for neurophysiological investigation. The project will use a multi-disciplinary approach, combining behavior, neurophysiology and computer engineering to relate the generation of escape behaviors to the coding of visual stimuli in the activity of individual nerve cells. Gabbiani and his collaborators will first characterize how the timing of various stages of escape jumps elicited in locusts by the approach of an object on a collision course depends on the speed and size of the approaching object. Animals will be filmed with a high speed-video system as they jump from the simulated approach of objects, or looming stimuli. Next, in restrained animals, the electrical activity of neurons sensitive to looming, which relay information from sensory to motor centers in the locust central nervous system, will be examined in response to similar stimulus conditions. One individual neuron thought to be critical in this process, the descending contralateral motion detector (DCMD) neuron, will be studied in detail. In parallel to these neurophysiological studies, computer engineers on the project will develop a miniature digital wireless recording and transmission system able to be carried by the locust. This system will transmit up to eight channels of neuronal data from electrodes implanted in the insect's nervous system, including signals from the DCMD cell studied in the restrained locust. The small device will affixed to the back of locusts to monitor nervous activity in real time during escape jumps. In separate experiments, the muscular activity leading to the generation of jumps will be monitored as well. Taken together, this study will for the first time investigate quantitatively the relation between stimulus parameters, the activity of sensory neurons and the motor stages of a visually guided escape behavior in freely behaving animals, thus leading to an integrated understanding of the connection between its sensory and motor components. This project also has a broader imact beyond the research community. Dr. Gabbiani has worked, and will continue to work, closely with a high school science teacher in his laboratory to develop high school science curriculum modules on the neural control of behavior and the integration of computer engineering with biology. The project will also support the interdisciplinary training of several graduate students.

避免碰撞对生存至关重要，人们已经在几个物种中研究了被认为与视觉引导逃跑有关的感觉和运动神经元的活动。然而，视觉信息在感觉区的处理导致逃跑的准备和执行的机制仍然知之甚少。目前的项目解决了这个问题，通过研究逃避自由行为的蝗虫在碰撞过程中接近模拟物体，并通过耦合这些研究与神经元活动的电生理记录在约束和自由移动的动物。蝗虫将进行研究，因为参与产生逃避行为的神经通路的特点，并为神经生理学研究。 该项目将采用多学科方法，结合行为、神经生理学和计算机工程，将逃避行为的产生与个体神经细胞活动中视觉刺激的编码联系起来。Gabbiani和他的合作者将首先描述蝗虫在碰撞过程中由物体接近引起的逃逸跳跃的各个阶段的时间如何取决于接近物体的速度和大小。当动物从物体或隐约可见的刺激物的模拟接近中跳跃时，将用高速视频系统拍摄动物。 接下来，在受约束的动物中，将检查对蝗虫中枢神经系统中的感觉中枢到运动中枢的信息的神经元对隐现敏感的电活动，以响应类似的刺激条件。一个被认为在这个过程中至关重要的神经元，下行对侧运动检测（DCMD）神经元，将被详细研究。在进行这些神经生理学研究的同时，该项目的计算机工程师将开发一种能够由蝗虫携带的微型数字无线记录和传输系统。 该系统将从植入昆虫神经系统的电极传输多达8个通道的神经元数据，包括来自被限制蝗虫中研究的DCMD细胞的信号。这个小装置将被固定在蝗虫的背部，以监测蝗虫在逃跑跳跃过程中的真实的神经活动。在单独的实验中，导致跳跃产生的肌肉活动也将被监测。两者合计，这项研究将首次定量研究刺激参数之间的关系，感觉神经元的活动和运动阶段的视觉引导逃避行为在自由行为的动物，从而导致其感觉和运动组件之间的连接的综合理解。 这个项目也有一个更广泛的影响超出了研究界。Gabbiani博士已经并将继续与实验室的高中科学教师密切合作，开发关于行为神经控制和计算机工程与生物学整合的高中科学课程模块。该项目还将支持若干研究生的跨学科培训。