Juxtacellular characterization of V1 neurons

（修订摘要） 描述：大脑皮层对于感知和思考至关重要。了解大脑皮层的工作原理是尚未解决的重大科学问题之一。我们一直在研究初级视觉皮层 V1，以便了解它在视觉中的作用，同时也因为 V1 是大脑皮层中最容易理解的区域之一。一方面，我们通常对 V1 神经元对一系列视觉刺激的放电有详细的了解，这些视觉刺激是从细胞外记录中获得的。另一方面，通过解剖学研究，我们了解了复杂的神经元结构以及 V1 内部以及 V1 与纹状外皮层之间的突触连接模式。为了理解如此复杂的神经元网络，对皮层神经元在网络内如何相互作用进行建模至关重要。目前，还缺少一个环节：结构和功能之间的联系，如果存在的话，将能够对皮层进行更真实的建模。在此应用中，我们提出实验来尝试使用“松散”补丁方法（JC-LP，近细胞松散补丁）来扩展近细胞记录。这项技术的发展将使我们能够在体内表征和染色视觉皮层中的神经元，从而提供功能和结构之间的联系。

(Revised Abstract) Description: The cerebral cortex is vitally important for perception and thought. Understanding how the cortex works is one of the great unsolved scientific problems. We have been studying the primary visual cortex, V1, in order to understand its role in vision and also because the V1 is one of the best-understood regions of the cerebral cortex. On the one hand we often have detailed knowledge of neuronal firing in V1 to an array of visual stimuli, obtained from extracellular recording. On the other hand, from anatomical studies, we know about the intricate neuronal architecture and the patterns of synaptic connections both within V1 and between V1 and extra-striate cortex. In order to understand such a complicated neuronal network, modeling how cortical neurons interact within the network is crucial. At present, there is one link that is missing that if present would enable much more realistic modeling of the cortex: the link between structure and function. In this application we are proposing experiments to pilot an extension of juxtacellular recording using a "loose" patch method (JC-LP, juxtacellular-loose patch). Development of this technique would allow us to characterize and stain neurons in visual cortex in vivo and would thereby provide the link between function and structure.