MECHANISMS UNDERLYING PLASTICITY OF RECEPTIVE FIELDS

描述(改编自申请人的摘要)：上下文相关，动态 视觉皮层感受野大小的改变可以通过以下方式引起 视觉活动的特定模式。有几个证据表明 依赖NMDA受体的长期突触可塑性可能会产生这种情况 影响，但到目前为止，突触机制最终导致 感受野大小的变化是未知的。我们将确定NMDA是否 受体依赖性突触可塑性是感受性突触可塑性的基础 字段大小。我们将具体解决的问题是：1)做 阻断NMDA受体依赖性突触的药理学操作 视觉皮质的可塑性也会阻止感受野大小的变化？2) 感受野大小的改变需要突触前后的一致 活性(激活NMDA受体所必需的)，如果是这样的话， 这种符合的时间限制与引发NMDA所需的时间限制相当 依赖受体的可塑性？这项研究将加深我们对 突触活动影响感觉处理的规则。一个 理解这些规则对于制定合理的策略是至关重要的 与退行性眼视力丧失相关的视觉处理缺陷 眼睛的紊乱或损害。

DESCRIPTION(adapted from applicant's abstract): Context-dependent, dynamic changes in the size of receptive fields in the visual cortex can be induced by specific patterns of visual activity. Several pieces of evidence suggest that NMDA receptor-dependent, long-term synaptic plasticity might generate this effect, but to date the synaptic mechanisms ultimately responsible for the changes in receptive field size are unknown. We will determine if NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity underlies the plasticity in receptive field size. The questions we will specifically address are: 1) Do pharmacological manipulations that block NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity in visual cortex also block changes in receptive field size? 2) Do changes in receptive field size require coincident pre- and post-synaptic activity (which is required to activate NMDA receptors), and if so, are the temporal limits of this coincidence comparable to those required to induce NMDA receptor-dependent plasticity? This research will further our understanding of the rules by which synaptic activity affects sensory processing. An understanding of these rules is essential for a rational strategy to fix defects in visual processing associated with visual loss in degenerative eye disorders or damage to the eye.