Functional Organization of Non-Primary Auditory Cortex

这个由NSERC资助的项目的目标是了解高阶听觉处理，在此基础上可以开发基于功能的脑操作模型，并培训来自不同系统和认知水平神经生物学背景的高素质人员(HQP)。背景：功能特化是大脑皮层组织的一个特征。大脑的区域专门用于执行特定的感觉或运动功能。在人类、猴子和猫的纹外视皮层中，已经确定了进一步专门化的空间、运动和模式处理的区域。在听觉皮质内，这种功能特化或“分工”的行为相关性在很大程度上是未知的。我们研究计划的长期目标是阐明猫听觉皮质内的行为“分工”，并确定不同的听觉区域对听觉中介行为的相对贡献。这些结果与对潜在神经元活动和大脑连接的研究相结合，将提供证据或驳斥哪个层次或网络理论最好地解释听觉皮质的处理。建议的工作：在建议的研究中，我们结合了一系列的行为测试、电生理记录和可逆失活来剖析听觉皮质的功能计划。本项目将研究听觉反应皮层的13个区域：四个可调区域(AI、AAF、PAF和VPAF)和九个非可调区域(AII、FAES、DPE、IPE、VPE、DZ、VAF、IN和T)。在拟议的实验中，我们将强调听觉皮质中的模式和时间处理。我们假设，所提出的任务和刺激的使用将在行为和电生理上揭示，沿着背腹平面的区域具有日益增强的刺激特异性，类似于纹外视皮层的腹侧“什么”加工流。意义：总体而言，我们计划制作第一个概要，其中包括听觉皮质每个区域对模式和时间刺激的处理所做出的多个但独特的神经贡献组合。这些研究的结果对于基于功能的脑操作模型的发展至关重要，这些模型将形成未来关于紧急和更高阶整合过程的知识的基础。

The goals of this NSERC-funded program are to understand higher-order auditory processing upon which functionally-based models of cerebral operations can be developed, and to train Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) from diverse backgrounds in systems- and cognitive-level neurobiology. Background: Functional specialization is a characteristic of cerebral cortex organization. Regions of the cerebrum are specialized to perform particular sensory or motor functions. Within extrastriate visual cortex of humans, monkeys and cats, areas have been identified that are further specialized for spatial, motion, and pattern processing. The behavioural correlate for such functional specializations, or a "division of labour", within auditory cortex is largely unknown. The long-term goal of our research program is to elucidate the behavioral "division of labour" within cat auditory cortex and determine the relative contributions that the different auditory fields make to acoustically-mediated behaviors. These results, when combined with investigations of underlying neuronal activity and cerebral connections, will provide evidence for, or refute, which hierarchical or network theories best explain processing in auditory cortex. Proposed Work: In the proposed study, we combine a battery of behavioural tests, electrophysiological recording, and reversible deactivation to dissect the functional plan of auditory cortex. This project will examine the 13 regions of acoustically-responsive cortex: the four tonotopic fields (AI, AAF, PAF & VPAF) and nine non-tonotopic areas (AII, FAES, dPE, iPE, vPE, DZ, VAF, IN, & T). In the proposed experiments we will emphasize pattern and temporal processing in auditory cortex. We hypothesize that the use of the proposed tasks and stimuli will reveal, both behaviorally and electrophysiologically, that areas along the dorso-ventral plane have increasing stimulus specificity similar to that of the ventral "what" processing stream in extrastriate visual cortex. Significance: Overall, we plan to produce the first compendium of the multiple, yet unique, combinations of neural contributions each region of auditory cortex makes to the processing of pattern and temporal stimuli. The results from these studies are essential for the development of functionally-based models of cerebral operations that will form the foundation of future knowledge of emergent and higher-order integrative processes.