NEURAL MECHANISMS CONTROLLING RECEPTIVE FIELD PARAMETERS

关于视觉加工本质的几种理论， 初级视觉皮层的结构功能是从 基本了解感受野的特性和如何 这些感受野在不同的皮层水平上相互作用。电流 有证据表明，在成年灵长类动物和猫的大脑皮层中， 场特性显示出发生在 第一视觉区（V1）。感受野可变性程度 然而，其神经学基础仍然存在争议。目标 该项目的目的是确定远程横向的作用， 在暴露后产生感受野延展性的连接 人为的暗点这项研究将调查三种可能的突触 内在的水平联系可以改变 RF特性。 它们的作用可能是由于突触的增加， 有效性，由于兴奋性的普遍增加，或由于特定的 抑制性和/或兴奋性突触后输入。实验 本研究的方法结合了人工暗点 电物理技术。然而，这一建议扩大了他们的 两种不同的方法：1）药理学操作将 用于探索可能的突触机制。2)Tetrodes将 更完整地描述了暗点对人群的影响 大脑皮层神经元这两项修改将有助于获得更大的 对射频延展性程度和可能机制的了解 产生这些变化。最终，这些信息将有助于提供 更深入地了解初级视觉皮层如何整合 信息形成视觉感知和图像。

Several theories concerning the nature of visual processing and architectural function of the primary visual cortex have evolved from the basic understanding of the receptive field characteristics and how these receptive fields interact at different cortical levels. Current evidence indicates that in the adult primate and cat cortex, receptive field properties show a significant degree of integration occurring in the primary visual area (V1). The degree of receptive field modifiability and its neurological substrate, however, remain controversial. The goal of this project is to determine the role of the long range lateral connections in generating receptive field malleability after exposure to an artificial scotoma. The study will investigate three possible synaptic mechanisms by which intrinsic horizontal connections could modify the RF properties. Their effect may be due to an increase in synaptic efficacy, due to a general increase in excitability, or due to specific inhibitory and /or excitatory postsynaptic input. The experimental approach of this study incorporates the artificial scotoma electrophysical techniques. However, this proposal expands upon their methodology in two different ways: 1) Pharmacological manipulations will be used to explore the possible synaptic mechanisms. 2) Tetrodes will give a more complete picture of the scotoma's effects on the population of cortical neurons. These two modifications will help to obtain greater insight to the degree of RF malleability and the possible mechanisms generating these changes. Ultimately, this information will help to give a deeper understanding of how the primary visual cortex integrates information to form visual perception and imagery.