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Role of cortical connections to higher-order thalamic nuclei in visual decision-making

皮质与高阶丘脑核的连接在视觉决策中的作用

基本信息

批准号：
10739488
负责人：
Ariana R Andrei
金额：
$ 12.89万
依托单位：
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2023
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2023-09-01 至 2025-08-31
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10739488
关键词：
Address Affect American Anatomy Animals Area Attention Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Automobile Driving Behavior Behavioral Blood - brain barrier anatomy Brain Cell Nucleus Cells Cognition Cognitive Communication Complex Decision Making Detection Development Devices Diffuse Disease Distal Electrophysiology (science)Engineering Focused Ultrasound Genes Goals Health Homologous Gene Human Individual Knowledge Lateral Learning Lesion Macaca Measures Medial Methodology Methods Monkeys Neocortex Neurons Opsin Organ Perception Performance Phase Population Prefrontal Cortex Primates Psychophysics Pulvinar structure Reporting Research Rodent Role Schizophrenia Sensory Signal Transduction Stimulus Structure Techniques Technology Testing Thalamic Nuclei Thalamic structure Training Transfection Viral Virus Vision Visual Visual Perception Visual attention Work area striata awake cell type executive function experience improved in vivo neocortical nervous system disorder neural neural circuit neurophysiology neuroprosthesis nonhuman primate novel novel strategies optogenetics programs response sensory input visual information visual processing

项目摘要

PROJECT SUMMARY To guide decisions, visual information must flow from primary visual cortex (V1) to prefrontal cortex (PFC), via multiple, parallel cortico-cortical and cortico-thalamo-cortical connections. Both V1 and PFC have direct connections with the pulvinar, a higher-order nucleus of the thalamus, but the role of this nucleus in sensory processing is still largely mysterious. Importantly, much of the pulvinar has no homologue in rodents or carnivores, which makes studying it in nonhuman primates all the more important. This goal of this project is to uncover how direct connections between the cortex (V1 and PFC) and the pulvinar interact and impact visual perception and visually-guided decisions in non-human primates. To achieve this goal, the project proposes a novel method, using focused ultrasound to non-invasively open the blood brain barrier, in order to precisely target cortico-thalamic projections for causal, optogenetic manipulations. Current evidence points to a critical role for the pulvinar in redirecting visual attention, but its role in visually-guided decision-making and perception is less clear. To directly test how these cortico-thalamic projections affect visual perception and decision-making, these circuits will be optogenetically activated while monkeys perform challenging psychophysical tasks. We will then be able to assess the contribution of individual, cell-type specific, components of these circuits, by measuring changes in behavioral performance and differences in neural responses across multiple brain areas. The proposed projects builds on my experience implementing multi-area electrophysiological recordings and optogenetic manipulations in awake, behaving primates. The training phase will allow me to develop novel approaches for transfecting larges areas with optogenetic constructs and practice targeting deep thalamic structures in the primate brain electrophysiologically. The long-term goal for my research program is to resolve the essential neural circuit that sensory information must pass through in order to become available for perceptually-based decisions. The central hypothesis for this is work is that cortical-thalamic loops are necessary for the subjective experience of sensory inputs, and a fundamental feature of perceptual decision-making. My goal is to apply this circuit-level knowledge of perceptual representations to improve brain function in the disease state or following damage to sensory organs, but also to use this knowledge to improve how we can effectively communicate information to healthy brains.

项目总结