FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF RETINAL GANGLION CELLS

视网膜神经节细胞的功能分析

• 批准号: 3259924
• 负责人: LARRY N THIBOS
• 金额: $ 5.95万
• 依托单位: TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1984
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1984-01-01 至 1987-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3259924
• 关键词: action potentials; axon; cell type; dendrites; eye fundus photography; eye refractometry; histology; microelectrodes; microscopy; neural information processing; neuroanatomy; neurophysiology; neuropsychology; retinal ganglion; sequential perception; visual feedback; visual fields; visual perception; visual photosensitivity; visual stimulus

The proposed experiments will examine fundamental aspects of visual information processing by the mammalian retina. Ganglion cells of the cat's retina may be separated into a small number of classes, or sub-systems, according to their visual characteristics and the central projection of their axons. Establishing the role each retinal sub-system plays is an important goal for understanding how the sensory and motor components of the visual system work. Knowing what and how each retinal sub-system performs, in turn, will provide a rational basis for future development of new techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of disorders such as optic neuritis, amblyopia and strabismus. The experimental approach to be adopted is based on the idea that the functional role of a ganglion cell is determined, at least in part, by its visual properties. The property of fundamental importance to be investigated is the detection of sinusoidal gratings. Not only are gratings useful for defining ganglion cell performance, they also serve as effective probes of the basic structure of receptive fields within the theoretical framework of Fourier analysis. Experiments will have two interrelated aims. First will be a comparative study of how the eight different classes of concentrically-organized ganglion cells (on/off, brisk/sluggish, sustained/transient) differ in their sensitivity to gratings. Representative cells of each class will be isolated for study with a microelectrode introduced into the eye of a paralyzed and anesthetized animal. Contrast sensitivity will be measured for a series of gratings which cover the full spectrum of spatial frequencies and orientations. Comparisons will be drawn between the performance of different types of cells at a fixed retinal location and also between cells of the same class but at different retinal locations. The second aim will be to investigate the relationship between functional receptive fields and structural dendritic fields. Anatomical descriptions of dendritic trees will be obtained from the stained, whole-mount preparation of the retina at the termination of neurophysiological observations. Specific cells which were studied functionally will then be identified by light microscopy and the results correlated with the form of the dendritic field. Particular features of interest will be the shapes of the fields and systematic patterns of asymmetry.

提出的实验将检查视觉的基本方面 哺乳动物视网膜的信息处理。 神经节细胞 猫的视网膜可以分为少数类，或者 子系统根据其视觉特征和中心 轴突的投影。 确定每个视网膜子系统的角色 戏剧是了解感官和运动如何的重要目标 视觉系统的组件工作。 知道每个视网膜的内容以及如何 子系统的执行又将为未来提供合理的基础 开发用于诊断和治疗疾病的新技术 例如视神经炎，弱视和斜视。 实验 要采用的方法是基于这样的观念 神经节细胞至少部分通过其视觉特性确定。 要研究的基本重要性的财产是检测 正弦光栅。 光栅不仅对定义神经节有用 细胞性能，它们还可以充当基本的有效探针 傅立叶理论框架内的接收场的结构 分析。 实验将具有两个相互关联的目标。 首先是比较 研究八个不同类别的集中组织 神经节细胞（开/关，轻快/缓慢，持续/瞬态）不同 他们对光栅的敏感性。 每个班级的代表性单元将是 用微电极引入了A的眼睛，以进行研究 瘫痪和麻醉动物。 将测量对比度灵敏度 对于一系列覆盖整个空间范围的光栅 频率和方向。 比较将在 在固定视网膜位置的不同类型的细胞的性能 同时在同一类的细胞之间，但在不同的视网膜位置。 第二个目的是研究功能之间的关系 接受场和结构树突状田。 解剖描述 树突树将是从染色的，整个安装的 在神经生理终止时的视网膜制备 观察。 然后在功能上研究的特定单元将是 通过光学显微镜确定，结果与 树突状场。 感兴趣的特定特征将是 不对称的场和系统模式。