Neural coding and functional organization of the octopus visual system

章鱼视觉系统的神经编码和功能组织

• 批准号: 10709768
• 负责人: Cristopher M Niell
• 金额: $ 36.56万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-08-01 至 2025-05-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10709768
• 关键词: Neural; coding; functional; organization; octopus

ABSTRACT Cephalopods have large and complex brains, and in particular a highly capable visual system. However, their brains evolved independently from vertebrates, and very little is known about how neural circuits in the cephalopod brain process visual information. In fact, there has never been a direct recording of receptive fields in the central visual system of cephalopods. This study will measure neural activity and visual coding in the optic lobe of Octopus bimaculoides, an emerging model organism for cephalopod research. The first aim will employ two-photon calcium imaging in the optic lobe of juvenile octopuses, combined with controlled visual stimuli, to measure receptive field properties in large ensembles of individual neurons. The second aim will combine this functional imaging with anatomical connectivity, identified via retrograde tracing, to determine how visual information is routed through the visual system and into higher brain regions associated with specific behaviors. The third aim will incorporate these experimental results into computational analysis of the visual features being encoded, and into network models of visual processing. Together, these aims will provide direct insight into the neural coding and functional organization of this unique visual system. This work will be the first to describe neural computations in the central visual system of cephalopods. Examination of a system that is evolutionarily distinct, yet functionally parallel to the vertebrate system, has the potential to illuminate novel ways by which visual processing can be carried out. Likewise, observation of convergence of functional organization in cephalopods, relative to vertebrates and other invertebrates, such as Drosophila, would help identify key features necessary for the function of complex visual systems.

抽象的 头足类动物拥有庞大而复杂的大脑，尤其是强大的视觉系统。 然而，它们的大脑独立于脊椎动物进化，并且对于神经元如何进化知之甚少。 头足类动物大脑中的电路处理视觉信息。事实上，从来没有直接的 记录头足类动物中央视觉系统的感受野。这项研究将测量 双斑章鱼视叶的神经活动和视觉编码，一种新兴模型 用于头足类研究的生物体。第一个目标是在光学器件中采用双光子钙成像 幼年章鱼的叶，结合受控视觉刺激，测量感受野特性 在单个神经元的大集合中。第二个目标是将这种功能成像与 通过逆行追踪识别的解剖连接性，以确定视觉信息的路由方式 通过视觉系统进入与特定行为相关的高级大脑区域。第三个 目标将把这些实验结果纳入视觉特征的计算分析中 编码并转化为视觉处理的网络模型。这些目标共同将提供直接的见解 深入了解这个独特视觉系统的神经编码和功能组织。 这项工作将是第一个描述头足类动物中央视觉系统中的神经计算的工作。 检查一个在进化上独特但功能与脊椎动物系统平行的系统， 有潜力揭示视觉处理的新方法。同样地， 相对于脊椎动物和其他动物，头足类动物功能组织趋同的观察 无脊椎动物，如果蝇，将有助于识别功能所需的关键特征 复杂的视觉系统。