Neural Correlates of Vibrissa Resonance

啮齿动物的胡须，被称为触须，是面部高度专业化的触觉感觉系统的一部分，可以检测物体的纹理。 每个人的胡须都是通过它们的位置被“映射”到大脑的躯体感觉皮层的。最近的研究表明，一个单独的触须具有共振振动特性，从生物力学共振的胡须长度和刚度，沿着可调刚度的组织周围的基础。 该项目使用物理学，数学建模，电生理学和解剖学在一个新的多学科组合，以测试这些功能是否可以提供一个新的替代解释的空间地图的胡须输入到大脑。 如果每根触须都对某些频率有调谐偏好或放大，那么大脑中的空间图也可能是触觉系统的频率图，在某些方面类似于中枢听觉系统中的频率图。 结果将是重要的一个新的解释的感觉编码的胡须体感系统，并可能有影响的解释中央编码和映射在其他感觉系统。 此外，该项目通过将强大的数学成分纳入这项生物研究，对研究生和本科生的跨学科培训和教育产生了影响。

Rodent whiskers, called vibrissae, are part of a highly specialized tactile sensory system on the face that detects textures of objects. The individual whiskers are 'mapped' by their location into the somatosensory cortex of the brain. Recent work suggests that an individual vibrissa has resonant vibration properties from the biomechanical resonance of the whiskers length and stiffness, along with the adjustable stiffness of the tissues surrounding its base. This project uses physics, mathematical modeling, electrophysiology and anatomy in a novel multidisciplinary combination to test whether these features may provide a new alternative interpretation of the spatial map of whisker input to the brain. If each whisker has a tuned preference or amplification for certain frequencies, then the spatial map in the brain might also be a frequency map for the tactile system, in some ways analgous to the frequency maps found in the central auditory system. Results will be important for a new interpretation of sensory coding of the whisker somatosensory system, and are likely to have an impact on interpreting central coding and mapping in other sensory systems. In addition, this project has an impact on graduate and undergraduate cross-disciplinary training and education by incorporating a strong mathematical component into this biological study.