全麻机制是一个亟待解决的重要科学问题，其核心在于阐释“意识如何消失并恢复”这一关键过程。丘脑中央正中核（CMT）为代表的板内核群在意识形成和全麻效应中发挥了重要作用，但其对皮质的调控机制尚不清楚。我们新近通过在体记录局部场电位（LFP）证实：丙泊酚诱导意识消失瞬间，代表意识水平的gamma波频率和强度在CMT主动优先变化，带动其投射皮层扣带回gamma波变化，初步证实CMT可能是皮层LFP变化的“扳机”。这一工作发表在J Neurosci。然而CMT的丘脑-皮质（TC）神经元如何调控皮质功能，从而介导丙泊酚麻醉效应还不得而知。本课题拟在前期研究基础上，通过Tettag-DREADD和光遗传学等技术，深入研究CMT在丙泊酚麻醉效应中的调控机制，揭示CMT-TC神经元的递质类型，阐明CMT与皮层在麻醉导致意识消失过程中的调控方式，从而为全麻机制研究提供新的理论依据，并为麻醉药物研发提供新靶点。

The mechanism of anesthesia is one of the most baffling puzzles. The key question is to explain “how the anesthetics reversibly induce the loss of consciousness”. CMT, one of the intralaminar nuclei, plays a quite important role in general anesthesia. However, how CMT modulates the cortical function is unknown. Recently, the applicant has compared the local field potential (LFP) in CMT and its innervating cortex during the propofol anesthesia. We have found the power and the frequency of gamma oscillation which represents the consciousness in CMT changed prior to that in cortex, which suggested CMT might be a “trigger” for cortex during propofol-induced anesthesia, yet we still don’t know how the thalamo-cortical (TC) neurons in CMT change the cortical activity and mediate the propofol anesthesia. Therefore, the current study is to explore the specific types of the TC neurons in CMT and the mechanism of which in modulating the loss of consciousness during propofol anesthesia, by using the new techniques, such as Tet-tag-DREADD and optogenetics. We look forward this research offering new information for general anesthesia mechanism and new targets for the anesthetics development.