Neuronal mechanisms of selective attention in early vision

描述(由申请人提供)：选择性注意的机制在过去的二十年里得到了深入的研究。因此，现在对涉及视觉注意的大脑区域网络以及单个神经元对注意力转移的反应有了更好的了解。目前的注意力模型也离提供可能具有直接临床意义的注意力回路的一般框架又近了一步。然而，当前模型的一个主要局限性是缺乏细胞特异性。大多数当前的模型将给定皮质区域内的每个细胞视为取自神经元的随机样本，这些神经元只是在其感受场的空间位置以及对线方向和运动方向的选择性上有所不同。完全忽略了具有不同功能的不同细胞类型的存在。不同层次的神经元、进行局部和远程连接的神经元，以及直到最近的抑制性和兴奋性神经元，都被模型平等对待。这项建议的主要目标是提供细胞选择性的生物学数据，这是建立更现实和临床相关的视觉注意模型所需的。我们的目标是描述参与V1区注意网络的不同细胞类型。我们还旨在识别在注意力中具有不同功能的神经元群体：那些参与增强注意力焦点的视觉的神经元，以及那些参与抑制周围区域分心的神经元。我们将使用最先进的技术，通过V1区的皮质深度对单个神经元和神经元群体进行密集采样。如果有必要，我们的新技术可以让我们研究一组特定神经元的特性，持续几天或几个月。我们的目标是利用这项技术来提供V1区不同皮质深度的注意回路的详细特征，并确定使注意调节最强的任务参数。 与公共健康相关：这项提议的结果可能会对人类健康产生重大影响，因为它提供了对使注意力回路发挥功能的不同细胞元素的更好理解。视觉注意力缺陷在创伤性脑损伤、自闭症和正常的衰老过程中很常见。我们的结果将有助于开发更好的模型，可以用来区分可能受损的不同注意回路，并为未来的治疗提供指导。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The mechanisms of selective attention have been intensively investigated over the past two decades. As a consequence, there is now a better understanding of the network of brain areas that are involved in visual attention and the responses of individual neurons to attentional shifts. Current models of attention are also one step closer to providing a general framework of attentional circuits that could have direct clinical significance. However, a major limitation of current models is the lack of cellular specificity. Most current models treat each cell within a given cortical area as if it was taken from a random sample of neurons that simply differ in the spatial location of their receptive fields and their selectivity for line orientation and direction of movement. The existence of different cell types with possible different functions is completely neglected. Neurons in different layers, neurons making local and long-range connections and, until very recently, inhibitory and excitatory neurons are all treated equally by models. The main goal of this proposal is to provide the biological data on cell selectivity that is needed to build more realistic and clinically relevant models of visual attention. We aim to characterize the different cell types that are involved in attentional networks in area V1. We also aim to identify populations of neurons with different functions in attention: those involved in enhancing vision at the focus of attention and those involved in suppressing distraction in surrounding areas. We will use state-of-the-art technology to densely sample individual neurons and populations of neurons through the cortical depths of area V1. Our novel technology allows us to study the properties of a given population of neurons for days or months, if necessary. We aim to take advantage of this technology to provide a detailed characterization of attention circuits at different cortical depths of area V1 and identify the task parameters that make attentional modulations strongest. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The results from this proposal are likely to have a significant impact in human health by providing a better understanding of the different cellular elements that make attentional circuits functional. Deficits in visual attention are common in traumatic brain injury, autism and the normal process of aging. Our results will help to develop better models that could be used to distinguish among the different attentional circuits that could be damaged and provide guidance for future treatments.