Functional Microcircuits of Sensory Neocortex

IBN-9723967 PI：Swadlow 大脑皮层在感知、行动和高级认知过程中的无可争议的作用，导致了对该组织功能特性的深入研究。 这项工作的主要目标是了解机制，使个别皮层神经元获得其独特的反应性能和合奏的皮层神经元如何相互作用，以产生全球的感知和行为能力。 这项研究的目的是了解在完整的、清醒的丘脑皮层体感系统中控制皮层功能的机制。 这项工作的目的是了解的转换后，输入到皮层的皮层内电路，抑制性中间神经元在产生这些转换的作用，以及这些转换如何导致并行和不同的传出流出。 同时记录丘脑-皮质投射神经元、皮质-皮质和离皮质传出神经元和推定的抑制性中间神经元的活动，并使用假定的突触前元件的微刺激进一步测试从这些方法得出的连接性推断。 特别强调将被放置在阐明规则的强度和特异性的丘脑皮质和皮质神经元的研究中的人口之间的功能连接。 从这些实验中获得的数据将提供一个独特的观点，在自然条件下研究个别皮层神经元的生理学，并将提供深入了解皮层神经元的互动网络及其不同的功能特性。

IBN-9723967 PI: Swadlow The undisputed role of the cerebral cortex in perception, action and higher cognitive processes has led to an intense effort to understand the functional properties of this tissue. Major goals of this effort have been to understand the mechanisms whereby individual cortical neurons obtain their unique repertoire of response properties and how ensembles of cortical neurons interact to produce global perceptual and behavioral capabilities. The proposed research is aimed at understanding the mechanisms governing cortical function in the intact, awake thalamocortical somatosensory system. This work is aimed at understanding the transformations performed upon inputs to the cortex by the intracortical circuitry, the role of inhibitory interneurons in producing these transformations, and how these transformations lead to parallel and distinct efferent outflows. The activity of thalamo-cortical projection neurons, cortico-cortical and corticofugal efferent neurons and putative inhibitory interneurons will be simultaneously recorded, and inferences of connectivity derived from these methods will be further tested using microstimulation of presumptive presynaptic elements. Special emphasis will be placed on elucidating rules governing the strength and specificity of functional connections among the populations of thalamocortical and cortical neurons under study. The data obtained from these experiments will offer a unique view of the physiology of individual cortical neurons studied under natural conditions, and will provide insight into interactive networks of cortical neurons and their varied functional properties.