Stimulus-timing-dependent visual cortical plasticity

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的主要目的是研究与峰值时间相关的可塑性在视觉皮层功能改变中的作用。最近在发起人实验室进行的研究提供了证据，表明猫V1神经元的皮质空间表征可以通过施加于邻近视网膜区域的视觉刺激的相对时间来改变。我将进一步研究刺激时间依赖的皮层修饰，具体目的如下：目的1。确定空间表征的刺激时间依赖性修正是否起源于皮层。我将研究修饰效果是否可以进行眼间转移，这被认为是皮质内的。目标2。目的：确定刺激-时间依赖性皮层感受野修饰的空间特异性和时间过程。我将使用异步局部两点刺激来诱导皮质空间表征的修改。通过改变条件刺激的位置，可以确定修饰效应的空间特异性。将进行进一步的实验来确定诱导的时间过程和效果的持久性，目的是了解自发或持续活动在逆转刺激诱导的修饰中的潜在作用。目标3。为了检验运动刺激在诱导皮层修饰中的急性效应，我将研究运动刺激在塑造成人皮层感受野中的急性效应及其对刺激速度的依赖，从而为刺激时间依赖性可塑性的参与提供进一步的证据。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The main goal of the proposed research is to examine the role of spike-timing-dependent plasticity in the functional modification of the visual cortex. Recent studies performed in the sponsor's laboratory have provided evidence that cortical space representation of cat V1 neurons can be modified by the relative timing of visual stimuli applied to adjacent retinal areas. I will further examine stimulus-timing-dependent cortical modifications with the following specific aims: Aim 1. To determine whether stimulus-timing-dependent modification of space representation is cortical in origin. I will examine whether the modification effect can undergo interocular transfer, which is believed to be intracortical. Aim 2. To determine the spatial specificity and time course of stimulu-timing-dependent modification of cortical receptive fields. I will use asynchronous local two-point stimuli to induce modification of cortical space representation. By varying the position of the conditioning stimuli, the spatial specificity of the modification effect can be determined. Further experiments will be carried out to determine the time course for induction and the persistence of the effect, with an aim to understand the potential roles of spontaneous or ongoing activity in reversing the stimulus-induced modifications. Aim 3. To examine the acute effect of moving stimuli in the induction of cortical modifications, I will investigate the acute effect of moving stimuli in shaping adult cortical receptive fields and its dependence on the velocity of the stimuli, thus providing further evidence for the involvement of spike-timing-dependent plasticity.