Functional connectivity of isolated neuronal circuits in primary visual cortex

描述（由申请人提供）：神经系统的功能依赖于神经元网络之间复杂的相互作用。了解这些网络如何在健康和疾病中发挥作用，取决于了解神经元之间精细连接的功能。本研究旨在揭示相同或不同皮质层中相似和不同类型神经元之间特定连接的功能。基于狂犬病的追踪系统将揭示小鼠初级视觉皮层神经元之间的直接单突触连接。视觉刺激结合钙成像将揭示连接神经元的视觉反应特性。这种方法将首次同时评估活体动物的连通性和功能，而不受连接细胞之间距离的限制。将揭示皮层兴奋性和抑制性输入对单个功能特征的兴奋性神经元的来源和功能贡献，并研究单个神经元整合许多输入以产生单个功能输出的原理。这些实验的结果将阐明关于细尺度连接在皮层信息处理中的功能作用的各种假设。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The function of the nervous system is dependent on complex interactions between networks of neurons. Understanding how these networks function in both health and disease is dependent on understanding the function of the fine-scale connections between neurons. The research proposed here is aimed at revealing the functions of specific connections between similar and different types of neurons in the same or different cortical layer. A rabies-based tracing system will reveal the direct monosynaptic connections between neurons in the primary visual cortex of mice. Visual stimulation combined with calcium imaging will then reveal the visual response properties of connected neurons. This method will be the first to simultaneously assess both connectivity and function in a live animal without limitations on the distance between connected cells. The cortical sources and functional contributions of excitatory and inhibitory inputs to single functionally characterized excitatory neurons will be uncovered, and the principles by which a single neuron integrates many inputs to produce a single functional output will be studied. The results of these experiments will shed light on various hypotheses about the functional roles of fine-scale connections in cortical information processing.