Learning and Adaptation in Primary Visual Cortex

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案的目标是研究学习和适应可以改变初级视觉皮层神经元的方向调谐的机制。已经示出学习辨别条的取向的小变化以锐化优选取向接近条的取向的细胞的取向调谐曲线，而已经示出适应定向光栅以加宽调谐曲线并且移位优选取向接近适应取向的细胞的调谐曲线峰值。了解这些现象将有助于我们理解神经元加工，这将在临床和基础神经科学在21世纪的关键作用。具体目标1的目标是确定是否修改皮质内连接是必要的，足以模拟学习和适应的网络中，从外侧膝状体核的前馈输入是急剧调整的方向，并将通过建立在过去的建模工作。具体目标2的目标是通过实验测试以下预测：在警觉的非麻醉受试者中，适应会导致生理变化，这些变化是学习中观察到的变化的短暂版本。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this proposal is to investigate the mechanism by which learning and adaptation can alter the orientation tuning of neurons in primary visual cortex. Learning to discriminate small changes in the orientation of a bar has been shown to sharpen the orientation tuning curves of cells whose preferred orientation is near the bar's orientation, while adapting to an oriented grating has been shown to broaden the tuning curves and shift the tuning curve peaks of cells whose preferred orientation is near the adapted orientation. Understanding these phenomena will contribute to our understanding of neuronal processing, which will play a critical role in both clinical and basic neuroscience in the twenty-first century. The goal of Specific Aim 1 is to determine whether modifying intracortical connections is necessary and sufficient for simulating learning and adaptation in a network where the feed-forward input from the lateral geniculate nucleus is sharply tuned for orientation, and will be accomplished by building on past modeling efforts. The goal of Specific Aim 2 is to experimentally test the prediction that adaptation in alert, non-anesthetized subjects causes physiological changes that are a transient version of the changes seen in learning.