Measuring retinogeniculate efficacy in wakefulness

描述(申请人提供)：外侧膝状核(LGN)提供了视网膜输入上升到视觉大脑皮层成为我们的视觉感知的主要途径。由于LGN神经元的感受场特性与视网膜神经元非常相似，因此LGN被视为视网膜信息的中继者。然而，它是一个复杂的继电器，似乎服务于许多功能，它在理解视觉的背景下的意义是模糊的。这个项目致力于通过测量清醒的、行为正常的猴子的视黄醇生成传递来阐明这些功能。我们的逻辑是，如果我们能够定量地描述为LGN神经元提供主要驱动的视网膜输入以及LGN神经元本身，我们就可以深入了解LGN在视觉中的功能。特别令人感兴趣的是视黄醇原酸盐在动物体内传播的有效性和时间动力学。我们将描述视网膜和LGN神经元的基本感受野特征，然后在猴子观看简短视频时从神经元记录。由于我们可以重建对视网膜的刺激模式，以及视网膜和LGN中尖峰信号的分布，我们可以测量每种信号的编码效率，以及扫视对编码效率的影响程度。这样的记录还将使我们能够测量视网膜和LGN活动的相对“稀疏性”。该项目的结果将为理解LGN在视觉中的功能意义提供新的信息，并将在清醒、行为和感知的灵长类动物中进行适当的研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) provides the primary route by which retinal inputs ascend to visual Icortex to become our visual perceptions. Because the receptive field properties of LGN neurons are so similar to the retinal counterpart, the LGN was viewed as a relay of retinal information. However, it is a complicated relay appearing to serve a number of functions, and its significance in the context of understanding vision is obscure. This project is concerned with elucidating these functions by measuring retinogeniculate transmission in the awake, behaving monkey. Our logic is that if we can quantitatively characterize both the retinal input providing the major drive to the LGN neuron as well as the LGN neuron itself, we can gain insight into LGN function in vision. Of particular interest are the efficacy and temporal dynamics of retinogeniculate transmission in an animal inspecting its environment. We will characterize the basic receptive field characteristics of retina and LGN neurons, and then record from the neuron as the monkey views brief videos. Since we can reconstruct the pattern of stimulation to the retina, as well as the distribution of spikes in the retina and LGN, we can measure the coding efficiency of each, and the degree to which saccades influence coding efficiency. Such records will also enable us to measure the relative "sparseness" of retina and LGN activity. The results of this project will provide novel information for understanding the functional significance of the LGN in vision, and it will be appropriately done in an awake, behaving, perceiving primate.