Cortico-collicular pathways for the modulation of innate behaviour and their roles in learning

本研究旨在探讨皮层通路在调节小鼠上丘（SC）介导的先天体感行为中的作用。核心假设是，皮层第5层对须SC的输入可以增强或抑制对须刺激的先天行为反应，为行为灵活性提供了一种机制。该研究还将探索皮质- collcollal通路在学习中的作用，以及这些连接是否可以通过Hebbian可塑性机制进行修改，从而在先天行为中产生持久的变化。该项目将利用新建立的须刺激范式来研究SC依赖的惊吓反应，并利用光遗传学技术来针对SC中特定的皮层受体神经元群体。本研究的发现将有助于我们理解先天行为及其由皮层输入调节的神经机制，并阐明先天行为神经元回路中的突触可塑性机制问题。

This proposal aims to investigate the role of cortical pathways in modulating innate somatosensory behaviours mediated by the superior colliculus (SC) in mice. The central hypothesis is that cortical layer 5 inputs to the whisker SC can enhance or suppress innate behavioural responses to whisker stimuli, providing a mechanism for behavioural flexibility. The study will also explore the involvement of cortico-collicular pathways in learning and whether these connections can be modified through Hebbian plasticity mechanisms to generate long-lasting changes in innate behaviour. The project will utilize a newly established whisker stimulation paradigm to study SC-dependent startle responses and employ optogenetic techniques to target specific populations of cortex-recipient neurons in the SC. The findings from this study will contribute to our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying innate behaviours and their modulation by cortical inputs, as well as shed light on the question of synaptic plasticity mechanisms in neuronal circuits for innate behaviours.