Optical Imaging of Tactile Information in S1 Cortex

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案的目标是研究大脑如何在大脑中编码触觉运动信息。将检查初级体感觉皮层（SI）不同区域（3a、3b、1和2区域）的反应。理解它们的功能角色的核心是找出一个区域与另一个区域的区别。通过使用简单和复杂的刺激，我们的目标是区分那些反应与刺激的物理性质密切相关的区域，以及那些反应不变且更密切地反映运动感知的区域。我们将采用光学成像、电压敏感染料成像、BOLD功能磁共振成像、单单元记录和解剖追踪方法来解决这些问题。这些实验将阐明触觉行为和注意力背后的神经回路，对中风功能恢复和触觉假肢的发展具有临床意义。公共卫生相关性：本提案的目的是研究大脑如何在大脑中编码触觉运动信息，特别是在初级体感皮层（SI）中。这些研究将阐明触觉行为和注意力背后的神经回路，对中风功能恢复和触觉假肢的发展具有临床意义。

Description (provided by applicant): The goal of this proposal is to investigate how the brain encodes tactile motion information in the brain. Responses within different areas of primary somatosensory cortex (SI) will be examined (areas 3a, 3b, 1, and 2). Central to understanding their functional roles is finding out what distinguishes one area from another. By using simple versus complex stimuli, we aim to distinguish between areas whose responses are closely associated with the physical nature of the stimulus and areas whose responses are invariant and more closely reflect the motion percept. We will employ optical imaging, voltage sensitive dye imaging, BOLD fMRI, single unit recording, and anatomical tracing methods to address these questions. These experiments will elucidate the neural circuitries underlying tactile behavior and attention, understanding that will have clinical relevance for recovery of function from stroke and development of tactile prosthetics. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The goal of this proposal is to investigate how the brain encodes tactile motion information in the brain, in particular in the primary somatosensory cortex (SI). These studies will elucidate the neural circuitries underlying tactile behavior and attention, understanding that will have clinical relevance for recovery of function from stroke and development of tactile prosthetics.