Parallel processing in electrosensory maps: from neuronal encoding to spatial learning.

该项目的目的是了解电感物体在情境中对自然行为的表征和识别过程。一方面，我们关注的是感觉自下而上的过程，其特征是对刺激进行并行处理。另一方面，我们将从自上而下的联想过程来分析与主动电接收相关的高级大脑区域。我们将研究真实物体的电子图像是如何在ELL的两个平行神经映射中被表示和神经编码的。实验的基本假设是，并行处理导致行为相关特征的有效提取，这反映在地图之间的空间编码差异上。使用解剖学方法，我们将研究在ELL中单独处理的信息是如何传递的，并最终在高级大脑区域会聚。通过解剖学和神经生理学方法的结合，我们期望获得关于有效感觉处理的概括性信息，这些信息将产生超出特定电鱼模型系统的影响。然后，这些知识可以与传感器融合问题的建模研究和生物传感原理的技术实现相结合。这些研究侧重于自下而上的过程，将得到更高认知能力及其神经元基础的研究的补充。联想过程对高级电感觉处理区域的影响--特别是小脑和端脑--将首次被表征。因此，我们将研究即刻早期基因的表达。结合对空间学习的行为学研究，我们努力绘制出那些专门用于电感觉空间学习的高级大脑区域。这些行为实验将使我们能够对学习过程和脊椎动物潜在的神经结构的同源性提供新的认识。总而言之，我们的应用既解决了特定于已建立的模型生物的基本研究问题，也解决了与感觉处理广泛相关的研究问题。此外，我们的结果将与基于生物启发方法的高效感觉处理的面向应用的实现相联系。

The aim of the project is to understand the process of electrosensory object representation and recognition in context to natural behaviors. On the one hand we focus on sensory bottom-up processes, which are characterized by a parallel processing of stimuli. On the other hand, higher brain areas linked to active electroreception are analyzed with respect to top-down associative processes.We will examine how electric images of real objects are represented and neuronally encoded within two parallel neural maps of the ELL. The hypothesis underlying the experiments is that parallel processing leads to efficient extraction of behaviorally relevant features and that this is reflected in differences in spatial coding between the maps.Using anatomical approaches we will investigate how information that has been processes separately in the ELL is conveyed and eventually converges in higher brain areas. Through the combination of anatomical and neurophysiological approaches we expect to derive generalizable information about efficient sensory processing that will have an impact beyond the specific model system of electric fishes. This knowledge then could be integrated with modeling studies on sensor-fusion issues and technical implementations of biological sensing principles.These studies, with their focus on bottom-up processes, will be complemented by studies of higher cognitive capabilities and their neuronal basis. The influence of associative processes on the higher electrosensory processing areas - especially the Cerebellum and the Telencephalon - will be characterized for the first time. Therefore we will study the expression of immediate early genes. Combining this with behavioral studies on spatial learning, we strive to map those higher brain regions devoted to electrosensory spatial learning. These behavioral experiments will enable us to shed new light on homologies of learning processes and the underlying neural structures in vertebrates.In summary, our application addresses both fundamental research questions specific to a well-established model organism and research questions that of broad relevance in sensory processing. Further our results will connect to application-oriented implementations of efficient sensory processing based on bio-inspired approaches.