Brain Circuits Mediating Motivated Behaviors

描述(申请人提供)：在这项提案中，我们利用新的双光子钙成像技术、光遗传工具、电路追踪和遗传靶向技术来剖析选择性皮质区域在驱动奖励/胃口和厌恶行为中的作用。在更基本的层面上，这项研究提案中提出的工作可能有助于确定新的底物，以了解(也许是管理)饮食和代谢紊乱，如肥胖症、厌食症、暴食症和糖尿病。在活体动物中使用双光子钙成像，我们的实验室最近在岛叶皮质识别出了一幅味觉图谱，其中每种质量都代表着一个不同的和独立的皮质区域。在这项建议中，我们研究了这些大脑皮层区域的神经活动如何驱动食欲和厌恶行为：)在目标1中，我们激活或停用清醒行为动物不同皮质区域的活动，同时监控它们的行为反应。在目标2中，我们将在改变感觉刺激的享乐值后，在岛叶皮质进行体内钙成像研究和光遗传刺激，并检测它们在皮质中表征的潜在变化。在目标3中，我们将追踪不同岛叶皮质区域的投影模式，以确定它们在大脑中的目标。从这项研究计划中获得的结果应该有助于我们理解动物是如何使用大脑回路来调节奖励/食欲和厌恶反应来协调行为的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this proposal, we make use of novel two-photon calcium imaging technology, optogenetic tools, circuit tracing, and genetic targeting techniques to dissect the role of selective cortical fields in driving rewarding/appetitive and aversive behaviors. At a more fundamental level, the work presented in this research proposal may help identify new substrates for understanding (and perhaps managing) eating and metabolic disorders such as obesity, anorexia, bulimia, and diabetes. Using two-photon calcium-imaging in live animals, our lab recently identified a gustotopic map in the insular cortex, where each quality is represented in a distinct and separate cortical field. In this proposal we examine how neural activity in these cortical fields drives appetitive and aversive behaviors:) In aim 1, we wll activate or inactivate activity in distinct cortical fields of awake behaving animals while monitoring their behavioral responses. In aim 2, we will perform in vivo calcium imaging studies and optogenetic stimulation in the insular cortex after changing the hedonic value of sensory stimuli, and examining potential changes in their representation in the cortex. In aim 3, we will trace the projection patterns of distinct insular cortex fields to identify their targets in the brin. The results obtained from this research proposal should contribute to our understanding of how animals use brain circuits mediating rewarding/appetitive and aversive responses to orchestrate behavior.