Functions of the thalamus in attention and perception

视觉丘脑在其解剖组织、连接模式、 和基本的神经反应特性。然而，它在感知和认知方面的作用仍然很差。 明白了。本申请是为我们的授权提交的竞争性续订申请 知觉和认知中的丘脑“(RO1-EY017699)。上一次供资期间的工作有(I) 表征了人类枕骨的形态结构和功能反应特性 高分辨率功能磁共振成像(FMRI)和(Ii)定义了猕猴的功能作用 枕区的空间选择性注意，使用同步多点记录。本申请扩展了 这项工作是为了研究猕猴脑枕在注意控制中的因果作用。枕骨是最大的 丘脑中的核团，被认为是较高级的丘脑核团，因为它形成输入- 输出几乎完全与大脑皮层一起循环。从解剖学的角度来看，枕骨是理想的 被定位为调节信息到大脑皮层的传输以及大脑皮层区域之间的影响 知觉和认知过程。来自对人类和猴子的损伤研究的证据表明 枕骨对许多基本认知功能的关键参与，包括定向 对视觉空间的反应和探索，过滤不需要的信息，以及视觉引导 行为。我们在上一个资金周期中的研究已经开始建立神经关联，这可能是 其中一些认知功能。我们发现间接的枕叶-大脑皮层连接似乎促进了 视觉皮质区域之间的信息传递。拟议的项目将通过探索 假设枕骨是大规模注意控制网络的一个完整的皮质下部分。使用 多模式方法方法，包括同步多点记录、神经成像和可逆 在埃里克森侧翼任务中训练的猴子失活，我们将追求三个具体目标。首先，我们将 通过以下方法系统地描述枕骨不同分区之间的注意调节和功能交互作用 使用线性微电极阵列从数十个单个和多个单元同时记录。第二，我们 将探索枕骨协调额顶注意控制网络内的相互作用的想法， 从而充当时间协调器，通过同时记录来自FEF、LIP及其互连的 枕背区的投影区。第三，我们将探讨枕骨在注意力控制中的因果作用。 通过在MR引导下可逆地使后枕骨失活，并从 FEF和LIP在我们的空间注意任务中，我们将研究局部效应和跨额叶的相互作用- 顶层网络与行为的关系。这项拟议研究的意义在于，它将进一步推动我们的 用创新的方法理解丘脑-皮质相互作用在知觉和认知中的作用 一种将尖端神经成像技术与颅内电生理学相结合的方法。

The visual thalamus has been extensively studied in terms of its anatomical organization, connectivity patterns, and basic neural response properties. However, its role in perception and cognition has remained poorly understood. The present application is a competing renewal submission for our grant “Functions of the thalamus in perception and cognition” (RO1-EY017699). Work during the previous funding period has (i) characterized the topographic organization and functional response properties of the human pulvinar using high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and (ii) defined a functional role of the macaque pulvinar in spatial selective attention using simultaneous multi-site recordings. The present application extends this work to investigate a causal role for the macaque pulvinar in attentional control. The pulvinar is the largest nucleus in the primate thalamus and is considered a higher-order thalamic nucleus, because it forms input- output loops almost exclusively with the cortex. From an anatomical perspective, the pulvinar is ideally positioned to regulate the transmission of information to the cortex and between cortical areas to influence perceptual and cognitive processes. Evidence from lesion studies in humans and monkeys demonstrate a critical involvement of the pulvinar in a number of fundamental cognitive functions, including orienting responses and the exploration of visual space, the filtering of unwanted information, and visually-guided behavior. Our studies during the last funding cycle have begun to establish neural correlates that may underlie some of these cognitive functions. We showed that the indirect pulvino-cortical connectivity appears to facilitate information transfer between areas in visual cortex. The proposed project will extend this work by probing the hypothesis that the pulvinar is an integral subcortical part of a large-scale attentional control network. Using a multi-modal methods approach that includes simultaneous multi-site recordings, neuroimaging, and reversible inactivation in monkeys trained on an Eriksen flanker task, we will pursue three specific aims. First, we will systematically characterize attentional modulation and functional interactions across pulvinar subdivisions by simultaneously recording from dozens of single- and multi-units using linear microelectrode arrays. Second, we will probe the idea that the pulvinar coordinates interactions within the fronto-parietal attention control network, thus acting as a temporal coordinator, by simultaneously recording from FEF, LIP and their interconnected projection zone in dorsal pulvinar. And third, we will probe a causal role for the pulvinar in attentional control. By reversibly inactivating dorsal pulvinar under MR-guidance and performing simultaneous recordings from FEF and LIP in our spatial attention task we will investigate local effects and interactions across the fronto- parietal network in relation to behavior. The significance of the proposed research is that it will further our understanding of the functions of thalamo-cortical interactions in perception and cognition using an innovative approach that combines cutting edge neuroimaging techniques with intracranial electrophysiology.