STRUCTURE/FUNCTION RELATIONSHIPS IN VISUAL CORTEX

该研究计划的长期目标是了解 信息背后的结构/功能关系 外侧膝状核（LGN）和视觉的处理 皮质，以及两个大脑区域之间的相互关系。 这里提出的实验将解决有关细胞的问题 LGN中存在的类型，影响其的机制 信号处理以及视觉皮层中细胞的连接。 实验的推动力是发现了一种新型的X- LGN A 层中的中继细胞（术语滞后或 X 细胞），其 功能和结构特性与其他 X 继电器不同 细胞（称为非滞后细胞或 X 细胞），并且似乎反映了 与细胞结构相关的基因内抑制机制。 目前的目标是更多地了解生理学和 这两个膝状 X 细胞群的形态学特性和 识别从它们接收的皮质细胞。 的 Y 细胞的特性和预测，其中可能还包含 滞后组和非滞后组也将受到检查。 具体目标如下： (1) 进一步表征 对滞后和非滞后 LGN 细胞的抑制影响。 (2) 至 检查这些细胞中的双眼相互作用以及 这些相互作用对细胞视觉反应特性的影响。 (3) 揭示脑干网状结构在脑干形成中的作用 调节滞后和非滞后中继细胞的活动，以及 不同类型的中间神经元的潜在参与 这种调制。 (4) 揭示细胞间的关系 目标 1- 中检查的形态和生理特性 3. (5) 揭示GABA能抑制在产生 滞后 LGN 细胞的视觉反应特性。 (6) 至 确定滞后和非滞后细胞的皮质连接 在区域 17 的第 4 层，以及 (7) 可视化 这些传入神经接触的皮质细胞。 标准型 细胞外记录、视觉和电刺激方法 细胞内染色将用于实现这些目标。 标准药理学方法也将用于完成 目标#5。 获得的结果将揭示结构的重要见解 以及视觉信息处理的功能机制 LGN 和视觉皮层。

The long-range goal of this research program is to understand structure/function relationships that underlie information processing in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and visual cortex, and the interrelationships between the two brain regions. Experiments proposed here will address questions about the cell types which exist in the LGN, the mechanisms which affect their signal processing, and the cells' connections in visual cortex. The impetus for the experiments is the finding of a new type of X- relay cell (term lagged, or X cells) in the LGN A-laminae, whose functional and structural properties differ from other X-relay cells (termed non-lagged, or X - cells) and which appear to reflect intrageniculate inhibitory mechanisms related to cell structure. The present goal is to learn more about the physiological and morphological properties of these two geniculate X-cell groups and to identify the cortical cells which receive from them. The properties and projections of Y-cells, which probably also contain lagged and non-lagged groups, will be examined as well. Specific aims are as follows: (1) To characterize further the inhibitory influences on lagged and non-lagged LGN cells. (2) To examine binocular interactions in these cells and the influence of these interactions on the cells' visual response properties. (3) To reveal the role of the brainstem reticular formation in modulating the activity of lagged and non-lagged relay cells, and the potential involvement of different types of interneurons in this modulation. (4) To reveal the relationships between cells' morphologies and the physiological properties examined in aims 1- 3. (5) To reveal the role of GABAergic inhibition in generating the visual response properties of lagged LGN cells. (6) To determine the cortical connections of lagged and non-lagged cells in layer 4 of area 17, and (7) to visualize the morphologies of the cortical cells which these afferents contact. Standard extracellular recording, visual and electrical stimulation methods and intracellular staining will be used to accomplish these aims. Standard pharmacological methods also will be used to accomplish aim #5. The results obtained will reveal important insight into structural and functional mechanisms underlying visual information processing in LGN and visual cortex.