Circuit Basis of Decision Making Across the Lifespan

整个生命周期决策的电路基础

• 批准号: RTI-2018-00765
• 负责人: ArrudaCarvalho, Maithe
• 金额: $ 8.86万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=642193
• 关键词: Circuit; Basis; Decision; Making; Across

This proposal aims to implement frame-projected independent-fiber photometry (FIP), a groundbreaking novel technology, at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC). FIP is a calcium imaging technique, which allows the simultaneous recording of neuronal activity across multiple brain regions. This technology was first published last year, and is present in only a handful of labs in the world. FIP will be implemented in two research labs at UTSC to study how brain circuits support decision making across development in mice and rats. This novel technology will significantly advance the applicants’ research programs in two ways. First, FIP is unique in providing the target specificity and time precision for the measuring of the relative neuronal activity levels across interconnected brain regions during live behaviour, something that has been hitherto unachievable with existing techniques. Second, FIP can be combined with another cutting-edge technique in systems neuroscience, in vivo optogenetics, to manipulate and validate neuronal activity in behaving animals. FIP adds another dimension to optogenetic manipulations as it enables precise, online monitoring of the effects of optical stimulation, allowing the stimulation parameters to be fine-tuned to naturalistic, physiological activity levels. Combined, these features will fill a major gap in the applicants’ research, which currently lacks the ability to measure circuit dynamics in behaving animals, and to adjust optogenetic stimulation protocols to mimic activity levels engaged by naturalistic behaviour. Overall, implementation of this technology constitutes a timely opportunity to make UTSC the only institution with FIP in Ontario (and second in Canada), offering (i) unique and highly advanced training opportunities for HQP, (ii) improving HQP recruitment efforts, to (iii) further increase the international profile of our research and (iv) foster novel collaborations both within, and outside of the University of Toronto.

该提案旨在实施框架投影独立光纤测光（FIP），一个突破性的新技术，在多伦多斯卡伯勒大学（UTSC）。FIP是一种钙成像技术，可以同时记录多个大脑区域的神经元活动。这项技术于去年首次发表，目前世界上只有少数实验室使用。FIP将在UTSC的两个研究实验室中实施，以研究大脑回路如何支持小鼠和大鼠在发育过程中的决策。这项新技术将在两个方面显著推进申请人的研究计划。首先，FIP在提供目标特异性和时间精度以测量在现场行为期间跨互连的大脑区域的相对神经元活动水平方面是独特的，这是迄今为止用现有技术无法实现的。其次，FIP可以与系统神经科学中的另一种尖端技术-体内光遗传学相结合，以操纵和验证行为动物的神经元活动。FIP为光遗传学操作增加了另一个维度，因为它能够精确地在线监测光学刺激的效果，允许刺激参数微调到自然的生理活动水平。结合起来，这些特征将填补申请人的研究中的主要空白，该研究目前缺乏测量行为动物中的电路动态的能力，并且缺乏调整光遗传学刺激方案以模拟自然行为所涉及的活动水平的能力。总的来说，这项技术的实施构成了一个及时的机会，使UTSC在安大略（和加拿大第二）FIP的唯一机构，提供（i）独特的和高度先进的培训机会HQP，（ii）改善HQP招聘工作，（iii）进一步提高我们的研究的国际形象和（iv）促进新的合作都内外的多伦多大学。