Cortico-collicular pathways for the modulation of innate behaviour and their roles in learning

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This proposal aims to investigate the role of cortical pathways in modulating innate somatosensory behaviours mediated by the superior colliculus (SC) in mice. The central hypothesis is that cortical layer 5 inputs to the whisker SC can enhance or suppress innate behavioural responses to whisker stimuli, providing a mechanism for behavioural flexibility. The study will also explore the involvement of cortico-collicular pathways in learning and whether these connections can be modified through Hebbian plasticity mechanisms to generate long-lasting changes in innate behaviour. The project will utilize a newly established whisker stimulation paradigm to study SC-dependent startle responses and employ optogenetic techniques to target specific populations of cortex-recipient neurons in the SC. The findings from this study will contribute to our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying innate behaviours and their modulation by cortical inputs, as well as shed light on the question of synaptic plasticity mechanisms in neuronal circuits for innate behaviours.