Probing perception and attention using primate optogenetics

描述（由申请人提供）：在拟议的研究中，我们将使用一种新开发的灵长类动物光遗传学工具，使我们能够在清醒，行为的猴子的新皮层中创建可逆的“微损伤”。使用这个工具，我们将测试和量化猕猴V4区域的作用，V4区域是腹侧视觉处理流中的中间处理阶段。在Aim 1中，我们将研究这种新工具如何调节神经元反应的增益，并将量化激活区域作为照明水平的函数。区域V4有一个斑驳的组织，其中一些区域选择颜色，另一些区域选择方向。在Aim 2中，我们将测试V4在颜色和方向感知中的作用，通过让猴子对颜色和方向进行精细的区分，同时我们灭活斑块的颜色或方向选择神经元。我们将研究激活用于颜色的神经元是否会损害颜色判断，而不是方向判断；激活用于方向的神经元是否会损害方向判断，而不是颜色判断。我们还将研究，当我们灭活为判别而调整的神经元时，这种损害是否更大，或者，调整到调节曲线的陡峭部分适合于在判别中进行区分。在Aim 3中，我们将使用光遗传学微病变来检验V4是否在介导注意选择中起因果作用。我们收集的数据将提供最直接的证据，支持或反对V4在颜色和方向感知中起因果作用的命题，以及它是否在注意选择中起因果作用。此外，拟议的研究将展示这种新的光遗传学工具的使用，我们将使其公开可用，以便其他研究灵长类动物和其他物种的研究人员可以使用该工具来测试感知，认知和行动的理论。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the proposed research, we will use a newly developed primate optogenetic tool, which enables us to create reversible "micro lesions" within the neocortex of awake, behaving monkeys. Using this tool, we will test and quantify the role of macaque Area V4, an intermediate stage of processing within the ventral visual processing stream. In Aim 1, we will examine how this new tool modulates the gain of neuronal responses, and will quantify the region of activation as a function of illumination level. Area V4 has a patchy organization, with some regions being selective for color, and others selective for orientation. In Aim 2, we will test the role of V4 in the perception of color and of orientation, by having monkeys make fine discriminations of color and orientation, while we inactivate patches color- or orientation-selective neurons. We will examine whether activating the neurons tuned for color impairs color judgments, and not orientation judgments, and whether activating the neurons tuned for orientation impairs orientation judgments, and not color judgments. We will also examine whether this impairment is greater when we inactivate neurons tuned for the discriminanda or, alternatively, tuned such that the steep part of the tuning curve is suited to discriminate among discriminanda. In Aim 3, we will use optogenetic micro lesions to test whether V4 plays a causal role in mediating attentional selection. The data we collect will provide the most direct evidence for or against the proposition that V4 plays a causal role in the perception of color and of orientation, and whether it plays a causal role in attentional selection. In addition, the proposed research will demonstrate the use of this new optogenetic tool, and we will make it publicly available, so that other researchers working in primates and in other species, can use this tool to test theories of perception, cognition and action.