Sensory pathways for conditioned stimulus detection during avoidance behavior

通过联想学习，中性的感官刺激被转化为行为刺激。 相关的条件刺激信号的行为偶然性。在操作性条件反射中 范例，条件刺激必须被感觉系统检测到，并被传递到 大脑中合适的联想中心。在躯体感觉系统中，主要 三叉神经复合体中的感觉中继细胞产生两个主要的上行和下行信号， 对侧躯体感觉通路一个支配前脑的丘脑 （三叉神经丘脑）和其他支配深层的上级丘， 中脑顶盖（trigeminotectal）。这两条上升途径在 检测与行为相关的体感刺激，如条件反射 在操作性条件反射任务的刺激，是未知的。在此，我们建议上级 丘是一个主要的感觉中继，用于检测行为相关的感觉 信号在操作性条件反射范式，但分析能力低于 丘脑感觉传递这两个中继系统（三叉神经丘脑和三叉神经顶盖） 共同检测和识别感官条件刺激。因此除了 由于三叉神经顶盖通路在新刺激定向中的作用是众所周知的，因此它将是一个 负责检测条件刺激的感觉回路的重要部分 这是需要立即操作性反应的行为突发事件的信号。有 这个项目的两个主要目标。第一个目标是确定响应属性， 上级丘细胞的神经调节。第二个目标是描述 这些细胞的活性和反应特性，作为动物检测行为相关 在主动回避任务中执行过程中的感官刺激。的长期目标 这个研究项目是为了揭示一种复杂的情感形式的神经基础， 条件反射，主动回避，这与许多焦虑和情绪直接相关， 恐惧症、社交焦虑症和抑郁症等。

Through associative learning, neutral sensory stimuli are transformed into behaviorally relevant conditioned stimuli that signal behavioral contingencies. In operant conditioning paradigms, conditioned stimuli must be detected by sensory systems and relayed to appropriate association centers in the brain. In the somatosensory system, primary sensory relay cells in the trigeminal complex produce two major ascending and contralateral somatosensory pathways. One innervates the thalamus in the forebrain (trigeminothalamic) and the other innervates the deep layers of the superior colliculus in the midbrain tectum (trigeminotectal). The role of these two ascending pathways in the detection of somatosensory stimuli that are behaviorally relevant, such as conditioned stimuli in an operant conditioning task, is not known. Here we propose that the superior colliculus is a major sensory relay that serves to detect behaviorally relevant sensory signals in operant conditioning paradigms but with less analytical capabilities than the thalamic sensory relay. These two relay systems (trigeminothalamic and trigeminotectal) work together to detect and identify sensory conditioned stimuli. Therefore, in addition to its well-known role in orienting to novel stimuli, the trigeminotectal pathway would be an essential part of the sensory circuitry responsible for the detection of conditioned stimuli that signal behavioral contingencies requiring immediate operant responses. There are two major goals in this project. The first goal is to determine the response properties and neuromodulation of superior colliculus cells. The second goal is to characterize the activity and response properties of these cells as animals detect behaviorally relevant sensory stimuli during performance in an active avoidance task. The long term goal of this research project is to reveal the neural substrates of a complex form of emotional conditioning, active avoidance, that has direct relevance to many anxiety and mood disorders, such as phobias, social anxiety and depression.