NEURONAL CONTROL OF INTERACTIONS AMONG BEHAVIORS

描述（改编自申请人摘要）：本研究的目的 研究的目的是了解行为的神经基础： 生产，发起，维护和协调。 为此，我们使用 药用水蛭的神经系统，因为它相对简单， 当动物执行许多不同的行为时， 弯曲、缩短、爬行、进食和游泳。 确保我们 了解这些电路如何工作，我们构建计算模型， 包含了真实的神经元的重要特征。 这些模型 因此，作为一个可行性测试，以确保我们不会错过， 电路的主要部分。 为了继续这项工作，我们将执行 以下几组实验： 1. 我们将找到一个反应（全身）的神经基础 缩短）支配另一种行为（游泳）。 2. 我们将确定爬行行为是如何产生的神经元 以及它们如何使用神经元来产生其他行为 (esp.游泳和缩短）以产生爬行。 3. 我们将研究如何使用相同的中间神经元来产生 不同的行为，以及这种神经元的多路复用如何影响 协调和行为选择。 每一个要研究的组织特征都可以在所有复杂的组织中找到。 动物，包括我们自己。 重要的是我们要完全理解 这些机制在任何系统中是如何工作的，这样我们就有了一个合理的 当我们自己的大脑出现故障或受伤时，它是治疗援助的基础。 使用水蛭，我们应该能够找到每个神经元负责每个 并确定它们如何作为一个单元来生产 正常的行为

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): The objective of this research is to understand the neuronal basis of behaviors: how they are produced, initiated, maintained, and coordinated. To do this, we use the nervous system of the medicinal leech, because it is relatively simple and highly accessible while the animal performs many different behaviors: bending, shortening, crawling, feeding, and swimming. To be sure that we understand how these circuits work, we construct computational models that incorporate the significant features of real neurons. These models therefore, serve as a feasibility test, to make sure that we are not missing major parts of the circuit. To continue this work, we will perform the following sets of experiments: 1. We will find the neuronal basis for how one response (whole-body shortening) dominates another behavior (swimming). 2. We will determine how the crawling behavior is produced by neuronal interconnections, and how they use neurons that produce other behaviors (esp. swimming and shortening) to produce crawling. 3. We will investigate how the same interneurons can be used to produce different behaviors, and how this multiplexing of neurons affects coordination and behavioral choice. Each of the organizational features to be studies is found in all complex animals, including our own. It is important that we understand completely how these mechanisms work in any system, so that we will have a rational basis for therapeutic aids when our own brains malfunction or are injured. Using the leech, we should be able to find every neuron responsible for each of these functions and to determine how they work as a unit to produce normal behavior.