Effects of spatial attention on neuronal circuits in the early visual system

空间注意力对早期视觉系统神经元回路的影响

• 批准号: 7659799
• 负责人: Farran Briggs
• 金额: $ 9万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-01 至 2011-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7659799
• 关键词: Address; Alzheimer' s Disease; Animals; Architecture; Attention; Attention Deficit Disorder; Award; Brain; California; Cognition; Cognitive; Disease; Education; Electrodes; Foundations; Future; Human; Individual; Instruction; Knowledge; Learning; Link; Mentors; Mentorship; Modeling; Monkeys; Neurons; Phase; Population; Primates; Principal Investigator; Process; Research; Research Personnel; Resources; Synapses; Techniques; Thalamic structure; Training; Universities; Visual Cortex; Visual system structure; awake; career; career development; cell type; design; experience; multitask; novel strategies; research study; skills

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The research proposed for this award will examine how spatial attention modulates cortical circuit activity in the early visual system. The proposed studies link the candidate's scientific background and future career objectives by examining intentional modulation of neuronal activity at multiple processing levels. Intentional effects will be observed at the individual cellular level (Aim 1), the local circuit level (Aim 2), and the cortical population level (Aims 1 and 3). By employing this novel approach toward understanding attention within the context of cellular and circuit processing, the candidate will draw upon experience across all phases of her research career. During the mentored phase of the proposed award, the candidate will simultaneously examine 1) how spatial attention modulates synaptic efficacy in cortical neurons receiving afferent thalamic input, and 2) how changes in cortical ensemble activity relate to the arrival of afferent information in attentive and non-attentive states. Through the instruction of two co-sponsors, one an expert in spatial attention task design/implementation/analysis and the other an expert in multi-electrode recording techniques/analysis, and with the vast resources already available at the University of California, Davis, the training received during the mentored phase will be invaluable to the longer-term objectives outlined in the independent phase of the proposal. As an independent investigator, the candidate will continue to address questions of functional dynamics in early visual cortical circuits using spatial attention tasks and multi-electrode recording. These experiments will further explore 1) whether and how the effects of spatial attention differ across neuronal cell types and local circuit levels, and 2) whether and how ongoing cortical network activity influences these intentional effects. All experiments proposed will be undertaken in the early visual system of awake-behaving monkeys, an ideal model for a number of reasons. First, while spatial attention influences early visual system activity, little is known about the mechanisms involved. Second, there is a wealth of knowledge available about the primate visual system. Third, the awake-behaving animal paradigm allows for the assessment of functionality in the fully cognizant state. Fourth, and most importantly, the primate visual system is similar to that of humans and therefore provides an ideal model for human cognition.

描述（由申请人提供）：该奖项的研究将研究空间注意力如何调节早期视觉系统中的皮层回路活动。拟议的研究通过检查多个处理水平的神经元活动的有意调制，将候选人的科学背景和未来的职业目标联系起来。将在个体细胞水平（目标1）、局部回路水平（目标2）和皮质群体水平（目标1和3）观察到有意效应。 通过采用这种新颖的方法来理解细胞和电路处理背景下的注意力，候选人将在她的研究生涯的所有阶段借鉴经验。在建议奖励的指导阶段，候选人将同时检查1）空间注意力如何调节接受传入丘脑输入的皮层神经元的突触功效，以及2）皮层整体活动的变化如何与注意和非注意状态下传入信息的到达相关。通过两位共同赞助者的指导，一位是空间注意力任务设计/实施/分析方面的专家，另一位是多电极记录技术/分析方面的专家，并利用加州大学戴维斯分校现有的大量资源，在指导阶段接受的培训对于提案独立阶段概述的长期目标将是非常宝贵的。作为一名独立的研究者，候选人将继续使用空间注意力任务和多电极记录来解决早期视觉皮层回路的功能动力学问题。这些实验将进一步探索1）空间注意的影响是否以及如何在神经元细胞类型和局部回路水平上有所不同，以及2）正在进行的皮层网络活动是否以及如何影响这些有意的影响。所有提出的实验都将在清醒状态的猴子的早期视觉系统中进行，这是许多研究的理想模型。 原因首先，虽然空间注意力影响早期视觉系统活动，但对所涉及的机制知之甚少。第二，关于灵长类动物的视觉系统，有大量的知识。第三，清醒行为动物范式允许在完全认知状态下评估功能。第四，也是最重要的一点，灵长类动物的视觉系统与人类相似，因此为人类认知提供了一个理想的模型。