Impact of Somatosensory Input in Auditory Processing

“父母补助金”探索了A1后侧经典听觉关联皮层的一个或多个区域是多感觉融合的区域，在那里，它们也对体感刺激做出反应。听起来。这一令人惊讶的发现反驳了一种流行的观点，即多感觉整合仅限于专门的、更高层次的“联想”结构。它还涉及到一个基本问题，即听觉和体感系统是否像视觉通路那样有“什么”和“在哪里”的区分。解剖示踪剂研究，结合麻醉猴子的标准多单元/单单元绘图程序和清醒猴子的多电极研究，将解决1。体感表征与先前定义的听觉场的关系。2. 躯体感觉输入的解剖学来源。3. 听觉-体感共表征的功能意义。FIRCA项目将进行上述第三项的补充分析。我们将解决1)体感输入在听觉皮层的生理影响，以父母资助确定的体感源位点为目标；2)听觉皮层的体感受体区域与体感输入源之间的层次关系；3)通过解剖重建特定目标1确定的选定的体感“输入”和听觉“受体”位点对之间的投影来扩展生理发现。

The Parent Grant explores the finding that one or more regions of classic auditory association cortex posterior to A1 are sites of multisensory convergence, in that, they respond to somatosensory stimuli, as well .as sounds. This surprising finding disputes a prevailing view that multisensory integration is confined to specialized, higher order "association" structures. It also bears on the fundamental question of whether auditory and somatosensory systems have "what" and "where" divisions like those proposed for the visual pathways. Anatomical tracer studies, in conjunction with standard multiunit/single unit mapping procedures in anesthetized monkeys and with multielectrode studies in awake monkeys will address 1. the relationship of somatosensory representation to previously defined auditory fields. 2. the anatomical source(s) of somatosensory input. 3. the functional significance of auditory-somatosensory co- representation. This FIRCA Project will conduct an analysis supplementary to number 3 above. We will address 1)the physiological impact of somatosensory input in auditory cortex, targeting somatosensory source sites identified by the parent grant 2) the hierarchial relationships between somato-recipient regions of auditory cortex and the somatosensory input sources and 3) expansion of physiological findings by anatomical reconstruction of the projections between selected somatosensory "input" and auditory "recipient" site pairs identified by Specific Aim 1.