Pulvinar Influence on Striate Cortex Activity

描述（由申请人提供）：虽然在表征枕核的突触组织和视觉反应特性方面已经取得了进展，但其对视觉信号编码的确切贡献仍然是难以捉摸的。所提出的实验旨在回答关于从枕核到纹状体皮质的投射的基本问题。使用光遗传学，束跟踪和体外全细胞记录的新组合，我们将确定哪些皮质细胞类型被激活的枕皮质终端，和枕皮质反应的频率依赖性。然后，我们将使用光遗传学和在体内在光学成像，以确定是否输入枕核改变皮层感受野特性。树鼩（树鼩）将被用作实验模型，因为树鼩纹状体皮层的电路是明确的，类似于灵长类动物，在体内的内在光学成像的树鼩纹状体皮层提供了一个方便的方法来监测整体变化的感受野特性。拟议的实验应有助于我们理解的建设和调制的纹状皮层响应特性，以及如何枕核有助于视觉。 公共卫生相关性：拟议的实验应有助于我们的基本科学理解的建设和调制的V1响应特性相关的治疗疾病，如斜视和弱视。这些实验还应该揭示有关枕皮质投射功能的基本信息，这些投射与治疗已知影响枕核的疾病（如精神分裂症）有关。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): While advances have been made in characterizing the synaptic organization and visual response properties of the pulvinar nucleus, its' exact contributions to the coding of visual signals have remained elusive. The proposed experiments are designed to answer fundamental questions regarding the projection from the pulvinar nucleus to the striate cortex. Using novel combinations of optogenetics, tract tracing and in vitro whole cell recordings, we will determine which cortical cell types are activated by pulvinocortical terminals, and the frequency dependency of pulvinocortical responses. We will then use optogenetics and in vivo intrinsic optical imaging to determine whether inputs from the pulvinar nucleus change cortical receptive field properties. Tree shrews (tupaia belangeri) will be used as the experimental model because the circuitry of tree shrew striate cortex is well defined and similar to that of primates, and in vivo intrinsic optical imaging of the tree shrew striate cortex provides a convenient method to monitor global changes in receptive field properties. The proposed experiments should contribute to our understanding of the construction and modulation of striate cortex response properties, and how the pulvinar nucleus contributes to vision. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed experiments should contribute to our basic scientific understanding of the construction and modulation of V1 response properties relevant to the treatment of disorders such as strabismus and amblyopia. The experiments should also reveal fundamental information regarding the function of the pulvinocortical projections relevant to the treatment of disorders that are known to affect the pulvinar nucleus, such as schizophrenia.