How does our brain tell us where we are based on what we see and hear? - Neuronal basis of cross-modal sensory integration for navigation

我们的大脑如何根据我们所看到和听到的内容告诉我们我们在哪里？

• 批准号: 2547012
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Queen Mary University of London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2547012
• 关键词: How; does; our; brain; tell

Several spatial cells have been discovered, including place cells in the hippocampus and gridcells in the medial entorhinal cortex. The activity of these cells provides an animal with aninternal representation of space as it explores an environment. However, a key unsolvedproblem is how spatial cells integrate multiple sensory inputs (such as visual, auditory,olfactory, etc) in order to form spatial representations.Virtual reality (VR) offers a powerful tool for investigating spatial cognition, allowingenvironmental manipulations that are impossible in the real world. We have recentlydeveloped a two-dimensional VR (2D VR) system for mice with mainly visual andmotor/proprioceptive inputs, allowing a close approximation of spatial representation in thereal world.The goal of this project is to study the integration of sensory inputs across modalities duringspatial navigation. In particular we aim to 1) Develop a new 2D VR, where both visual andauditory cues can be individually controlled and manipulated, and train animals to navigatein this multisensory VR. 2) Characterise activity of spatial cells in this multisensory VR, inparticular the topography of these spatial cells with respect to their response to sensoryinputs. 3) Examine how these spatial cells interact in order to integrate visual and auditoryinputs, forming a unified spatial representation. The primary techniques that will be usedinclude in vivo electrophysiological single-unit recording using tetrodes and Neuropixelprobes, as well as in vivo 2-photon imaging. Theoretical models will be constructed based onthe experimental results, which will be used to explain experimental outcomes and makefurther predictions and hypotheses for future directions.Experiments will be supervised mainly by the primary supervisor, while the modelling will beguided primarily by the secondary supervisor. Work will be carried out in both QMUL and UCL.

已经发现了几种空间细胞，包括海马体中的位置细胞和内嗅皮层中的网格细胞。这些细胞的活动为动物在探索环境时提供了对空间的内部表征。然而，一个关键的未解决的问题是空间细胞如何整合多种感官输入（如视觉、听觉、嗅觉等）以形成空间表征。虚拟现实（VR）为研究空间认知提供了一个强大的工具，允许在现实世界中不可能的环境操纵。我们最近为小鼠开发了一种二维VR （2D VR）系统，主要具有视觉和运动/本体感受输入，允许在现实世界中接近空间表征。这个项目的目标是研究空间导航过程中不同模式的感官输入的整合。具体来说，我们的目标是1)开发一种新的2D VR，其中视觉和听觉线索都可以单独控制和操纵，并训练动物在这种多感官VR中导航。2)表征这种多感官VR中空间细胞的活动，特别是这些空间细胞的地形与它们对感官输入的响应。3)检查这些空间细胞如何相互作用，以整合视觉和听觉输入，形成统一的空间表征。将使用的主要技术包括使用四极体和神经像素探针的体内电生理单单元记录，以及体内双光子成像。在实验结果的基础上构建理论模型，用来解释实验结果，并对未来的方向做出进一步的预测和假设。实验将主要由主要导师指导，而建模将主要由副导师指导。工作将在QMUL和UCL进行。