Input integration in visual cortex

描述（由申请人提供）：大脑感觉区域的神经元接收不断变化的输入，以响应周围环境的刺激。此外，它们还接受来自局部细胞网络的自发的、内在产生的背景输入。尽管神经科学已经开始在细胞水平上阐明感觉系统的功能，但令人惊讶的是，我们对单个脑细胞如何整合和处理这两种输入知之甚少。本文提出的实验将检验控制单个皮层神经元视觉驱动突触输入整合的基本细胞规则，并探索网络活动的变化如何调节突触输入整合和皮层细胞的输入-输出增益。输入整合的细胞机制将通过记录完整动物的初级视觉皮层神经元的细胞内并分析视觉刺激引起的突触电位和尖峰输出来研究。这项工作将为视觉处理的基本细胞机制提供见解，并阐明感觉皮质功能的基本原理。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Neurons in sensory areas of the brain receive continuously varying inputs in response to stimuli in the surrounding environment. In addition, they also receive spontaneous, intrinsically generated background input from the local network of cells. Despite numerous advances in neuroscience that have begun to elucidate sensory system function at the cellular level, we know surprisingly little about how individual brain cells integrate and process these two kinds of input. The experiments proposed here will examine the basic cellular rules governing the integration of visually driven synaptic inputs by single cortical neurons and explore how changes in network activity modulate synaptic input integration and cortical cells' input-output gain. The cellular mechanisms of input integration will be examined by recording intracellularly from primary visual cortex neurons in intact animals and analyzing the synaptic potentials and spike output evoked by visual stimulation. This work will provide insights into the fundamental cellular mechanisms underlying visual processing and elucidate basic principles of sensory cortical function.