Excitation and Inhibition in Neural Circuits of the Visual Cortex

描述（由申请人提供）：初级视觉皮层的神经回路对于产生对外部世界的准确感知至关重要。这些回路在视觉皮层的垂直轴和水平轴上都有功能组织。尽管如此，人们对垂直投影和水平投影对视觉计算的独特贡献知之甚少。特别是激发与抑制的平衡（E/I平衡）即垂直

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Neural circuits of the primary visual cortex are critical for generating accurate perceptions of our external world. These circuits are functionally organized across both the vertical and horizontal axes of the visual cortex. Nonetheless, the distinct contributions of vertical and horizontal projections to visual computation are poorly understood. In particular, the balance of excitation and inhibition (the E/I balance) that vertical and horizontal projections generate during sensory evoked activity is not well characterized due to a lack of appropriate methodology. The first goal of this proposal is to implement a new approach to selectively activate the vertical and horizontal projections for each layer of the cortex using a combination of cell-type specific gene targeting and optogenetic tools. The second goal is to use this new approach to test the hypothesis that vertical and horizontal projections generate layer-specific E/I balances in the cortex that determine their functional impact on cortical activity. The third goal is to establish how the distinct E/I balances that vertcal and horizontal projections generate in visual cortical circuits mediate the encoding of fundamental stimulus features such as contrast and size.