Function, diversity, and circuitry of parallel retinal ganglion cell pathways

这项研究的目的是了解视网膜对背部运动处理的作用。 视觉通路。视网膜内的神经回路提取视觉信息并发送 通过视网膜神经节细胞的轴突传递到视觉丘脑，随后传递到 大脑皮层。关于在大脑皮层中执行运动计算的神经通路，我们知道得很多，但 关于视网膜是如何参与这一途径的，我们知之甚少。拟议的研究将进一步 我们对视网膜如何参与运动处理及其机制的理解 这种神经计算。 我们的第一个目标将直接确定对象相对于背景运动的选择性是否存在于 视网膜和调节这些计算的神经机制。 我们的第二个目标是研究检测视觉对象的方向和运动的电路。 我们的第三个目标将测试来自短波长敏感视锥的信号是否被用于神经 经典色觉之外的计算。 如果成功，这项研究将提供几个重要的贡献。首先，它将增加我们的 了解与行为相关的信息是如何在并行神经回路中编码的-a 系统神经科学的根本目标。第二，它将解释兴奋性和抑制性神经是如何 网络以不同的方式塑造信息流，并对神经计算做出贡献。最后，这些 这些发现将立即适用于正在进行的视网膜假体和其他 旨在恢复盲人视觉功能的技术。

The goal of this research is to understand how the retina contributes to motion processing in the dorsal visual pathway. The neural circuitry within the retina extracts visual information and sends that information through the axons of retinal ganglion cells to the visual thalamus and, subsequently, to the cortex. Much is known about the neural pathways that perform motion computations in the cortex, but far less is known about how the retina contributes to this pathway. The proposed research will further our understanding of how the retina contributes to motion processing and the mechanisms that contribute to this neural computation. Our first aim will directly determine whether selectivity for object versus background motion is present in the retina and the neural mechanisms that mediate these computations. Our second aim will study circuits tasked with detecting the orientation and motion of visual objects. Our third aim will test whether signals from short-wavelength-sensitive cones are utilized for neural computations outside of classical color vision. If successful, this research will provide several significant contributions. First, it will increase our understanding about how ethologically relevant information is encoded in parallel neural circuits—a fundamental goal of systems neuroscience. Second, it will explain how excitatory and inhibitory neural networks differentially shape information flow and contribute to neural computations. Finally, these findings will be applicable immediately to ongoing development of retinal prostheses and other techniques designed to restore visual function in blind humans.