Dynamic sensory representations in adult auditory cortex

项目总结/摘要 听觉对我们的生活质量有很大的贡献。事实上，听觉系统在 在我们对当地环境的认识，沟通和我们享受音乐的能力方面发挥着重要作用。 然而，大脑中感觉信息的处理和编码机制并不 清楚为了解决这个问题，我们研究了听觉皮层神经元回路的特性， 对声音感知很重要的区域。我们研究的长期目标是了解 不同类型的兴奋性和抑制性回路调节大脑中的感觉信息处理。 提出的实验采用光学记录技术来研究大的响应特性 听觉皮层的神经元集合。具体目标1提出制定慢性病战略， 体内双光子记录来自清醒时初级听觉皮层中鉴定的细胞群的活性， 头部固定的老鼠我们将使用这种方法来确定principal 不同皮质层中的细胞以及抑制性中间神经元的不同亚型。具体目标2建议， 研究成年人听觉皮层的感觉表征是如何被经验塑造的。我们假设 对声音的短暂的日常体验会引起皮层主细胞介导的反应的长期习惯化 被局部抑制性中间神经元所控制。具体目标3提出研究皮层活动是如何通过 声音引导的行为我们假设，参与听觉任务会迅速增强大脑皮层 与被动聆听相比，此外，这种由声音引导的行为的调制 也是由于局部中间神经元活动的变化。总之，这些实验将表明， 感觉表征是高度灵活的，并通过调节神经元的局部抑制回路进行双向调节。 声音刺激的显著性

Project Summary/Abstract The sense of hearing contributes significantly to our quality of life. Indeed, the auditory system plays a fundamental role in our awareness of our local environment, communication, and our ability to enjoy music. However, the mechanisms underlying the processing and encoding of sensory information in the brain are not clear. To address this question, we study the properties of neuronal circuits in the auditory cortex, a higher brain region important for sound perception. The long-term objective of our research is to understand how the interplay of different types of excitatory and inhibitory circuits regulate sensory information processing in the brain. The experiments proposed employ optical recording techniques to study the response properties of large ensembles of neurons in auditory cortex. Specific Aim 1 proposes the development of a strategy for chronic, in vivo two-photon recording of activity from identified cell populations in the primary auditory cortex of awake, head-fixed mice. We will use this approach to determine the tuning properties and spatial organization of principal cells in different cortical layers as well as distinct subtypes of inhibitory interneurons. Specific Aim 2 proposes to investigate how sensory representations in adult auditory cortex are shaped by experience. We hypothesize that brief daily experience to sounds causes a long-lasting habituation of cortical principal cell responses mediated by local inhibitory interneurons. Specific Aim 3 proposes to investigate how cortical activity is modulated by sound-guided behavior. We hypothesize that engagement in an auditory task rapidly enhances cortical representations to sounds compared to passive listening. Moreover, this modulation by sound-guided behavior is also due to changes in the activity of local interneurons. Together, these experiments will show that cortical sensory representations are highly flexible and bidirectionally modulated by local inhibitory circuits that regulate the salience of acoustic stimuli.