Bussey-Saksida touch screen chambers for monitoring cognitive behaviour in mice

Bussey-Saksida 触摸屏室用于监测小鼠认知行为

• 批准号: 472893-2015
• 负责人: Borgland, Stephanie
• 金额: $ 10.91万
• 依托单位: University of Calgary
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=564873
• 关键词: Bussey; Saksida; touch; screen; chambers

A substantial number of Canadians are obese and have trouble regulating their food intake. Difficulties in regulating food intake derive from an increased motivation to consume food and a decreased ability to inhibit food intake. My laboratory primarily focuses on dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which encode the learning of cues that predict rewards and increased motivation to obtain food driven by their output in target structures, such as the striatum. The overarching goal of the research program is to delineate neural circuits underlying changes in motivational state and decision-making and determine the neuroadaptations associated with increased food intake in nodes of these circuits. Glutamatergic inputs to the VTA dopaminergic neurons modulate learning of food-related cues. Furthermore, circuits within the cortex and their projections to the striatum may be implicated in deciding whether or not to eat. Using a combination of pharmacology and patch-clamp electrophysiology, we have made significant progress in determining how synaptic strength within nodes of these circuits varies with satiety state signaled by hormones or neuropeptides. We are now at a critical stage of the project where we need to understand how these mechanisms work in a pathophysiological circumstance. Indeed, aberrant motivation for food resulting in increased food intake can lead to alterations in cognitive behaviors including decision-making and impulsivity. This proposal is for funds to purchase a touch screen system to measure cognitive behaviors in mice so that, in combination with optogenetics, we can dissociate the contribution of different circuits underlying the learning of cues that predict rewards, decision making, and impulsivity. After behavioral assessment with the Bussey-Saksida chambers, we can then measure synaptic efficacy at different nodes within these circuits with our existing equipment. Using this strategy, we will be able to measure changes at the synaptic, neural circuit and behavioural level in the same mouse. Training associated with this grant will also provide a unique opportunity for trainees to learn a cutting-edge technology making them highly marketable for careers in academic, biotechnological or industrial research.

相当多的加拿大人肥胖，难以调节食物摄入量。调节食物摄入的困难来自消费食物的动机增加和抑制食物摄入的能力降低。我的实验室主要关注腹侧被盖区（VTA）的多巴胺神经元，它编码线索的学习，这些线索预测奖励和增加获得食物的动机，这些动机由它们在目标结构（如纹状体）中的输出驱动。该研究计划的总体目标是描绘动机状态和决策变化的神经回路，并确定与这些回路节点中食物摄入量增加相关的神经适应。对腹侧被盖区多巴胺能神经元的谷氨酸能输入调节食物相关线索的学习。此外，皮质内的回路及其向纹状体的投射可能与决定是否进食有关。使用药理学和膜片钳电生理学的组合，我们已经取得了重大进展，确定如何在这些电路的节点内的突触强度变化与饱足状态的激素或神经肽信号。 我们现在正处于项目的关键阶段，我们需要了解这些机制在病理生理学环境中如何工作。事实上，对食物的异常动机导致食物摄入量增加，可能会导致认知行为的改变，包括决策和冲动。这项提议是为了筹集资金购买一个触摸屏系统来测量小鼠的认知行为，这样，结合光遗传学，我们就可以分离出不同回路的贡献，这些回路是预测奖励、决策和冲动的线索学习的基础。在使用Bussey-Saksida室进行行为评估之后，我们可以使用现有的设备测量这些回路中不同节点的突触功效。使用这种策略，我们将能够在同一只小鼠中测量突触，神经回路和行为水平的变化。 与此补助金相关的培训还将为学员提供一个独特的机会，让他们学习尖端技术，使他们在学术，生物技术或工业研究领域的职业生涯中极具市场价值。