The Receptive Fields of Dendrites and Spines in the Visual Cortex

描述（由申请人提供）：视觉皮层中的单个神经元在其树突上接收来自其他皮层神经元的数千个突触输入。这些不同的突触输入在感觉信号处理中的功能尚不清楚。我们在体内标记单个神经元，使整个树突树可以可视化和功能映射。我们研究树突上的突触亚群是否处理环境中不同的刺激特征。这些皮层神经元上的突触可能在经验依赖的可塑性和双眼视力的恢复中发挥重要作用，在视觉经验改变（如弱视）最初的不利影响后。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A single neuron in the visual cortex receives many thousands of synaptic inputs on its dendrites from other cortical neurons. The functions of these various synaptic inputs in sensory signal processing are unknown. We label single neurons in vivo such that the entire dendritic tree can be visualized and mapped functionally. We examine whether subsets of synapses on dendrites process different stimulus features in the environment. These synapses on cortical neurons may play an important role in experience dependent plasticity and the recovery of binocular vision after the initially detrimental effects of altered visual experience such as during amblyopia. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Amblyopia is a common cause of visual impairment in children where circuits within the brain favor the processing of visual stimuli from just one of the two eyes. This award will support research on structural and functional imaging of neurons in the visual cortex that may be affected by amblyopia.