Olfactory thalamus and odor perception

嗅觉丘脑和气味感知

• 批准号: 8877850
• 负责人: Emmanuelle Courtiol
• 金额: $ 16.17万
• 依托单位: NATHAN S. KLINE INSTITUTE FOR PSYCH RES
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-04-01 至 2018-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8877850
• 关键词: Affect; Animals; Area; Attention; Axon; Behavior; Behavioral; Behavioral Assay; Budgets; Chronic; Clinical; Code; Complex; Cues; Data; Detection; Discrimination; Disease; Electrophysiology (science); Foundations; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Funding; Future; Grant; Halorhodopsins; Human; Lead; Left; Lesion; Location; Medial Dorsal Nucleus; Modality; Nature; Neurons; Neurosciences; Odors; Olfactory Cortex; Olfactory Pathways; Output; Pathway interactions; Perception; Performance; Phase; Play; Postdoctoral Fellow; Process; Rattus; Research Personnel; Resolution; Rewards; Rodent; Role; Sensory; Short-Term Memory; Smell Perception; Source; Stimulus; Symptoms; Techniques; Testing; Thalamic structure; Time; Transfection; Viral; Work; attentional modulation; auditory stimulus; base; cognitive function; frontal lobe; information processing; innovation; interest; neuropsychiatry; novel; olfactory sensory neurons; optogenetics; piriform cortex; public health relevance; sensory cortex; sensory gating; spatial memory; tool; visual stimulus

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): For all senses except olfaction, the thalamus is the primary source of cortical input and is involved in many functions ranging from basic sensory information processing, to more complex functions such as sensory gating or attention modulation. Although there is no thalamic relay between the olfactory sensory neurons and the olfactory cortex (piriform cortex), there is a direct projection from the piriform cortex (PCX) to he mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MDT) and the MDT projects in turn to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Lesion studies and recent functional magnetic resonance imaging studies in humans suggest that the MDT may be particularly important in odor attention, rather than in odor discrimination per se. Based on its crossroad location between PCX and OFC and its specific activation during odor attention processes in humans, I hypothesize that the MDT is involved in, and required for odor attention processes. In this R03 proposal, I propose multi-disciplinary approaches combining electrophysiological, behavioral, and optogenetic techniques to test this hypothesis. Aim 1 is to test the hypothesis that 1) MDT neurons are active during tasks requiring attention to odors, notably when the attention demand is high and 2) MDT functional connectivity with PCX and/or OFC will be differentially modulated depending on the odor attention level of the task. To explore this question, I will use simultaneous multiple-regional electrophysiological recordings (local field potential and single unit activity) in behaving rats during an innovative odor attention task. Aim 2 is to test the sensory component of MDT activity in an odor attention requiring task. I will use optogenetic tools to selectively inhibit PCX output neuron axons targeting the MDT and simultaneously record MDT activity and behavior during the olfactory attention task. Aim 3 is to test whether and when MDT activity is required in the odor attention task. I will use optogenetic tools to selectively and temporally inhibit CAMKII expressing MDT output neuron activity during specific behaviorally defined phases of odor attention trials. The results of the present proposal will further our understanding of the enigmatic role of thalamus in odor coding and will give access to the mechanisms underlying attention in a unique sensory modality.

 描述（由适用提供）：对于除嗅觉以外的所有感觉，丘脑是皮质输入的主要来源，并且参与了许多功能，从基本的感觉信息处理到更复杂的功能，例如感觉门控或注意调制。尽管嗅觉感觉神经元与嗅皮层（梨状皮层）之间没有丘脑中继，但是从梨状皮层（PCX）到He MediaDorsal thalamic Nouus（MDT）和MDT项目的直接投影转到Orbitofrontartal CorortaL Corortex（MDT）。病变研究和人类的最新功能磁共振成像研究表明，MDT在气味的关注中可能尤其重要，而不是在气味歧视中本身。基于其在人类气味注意过程中PCX和OFC之间的十字路口位置及其特定的激活，我假设MDT参与了气味注意力过程，并且需要。在此R03建议中，我提出了将电生理，行为和光遗传学技术结合以检验该假设的多学科方法。目的1是测试以下假设：1）MDT神经元在需要注意气味的任务过程中活跃，特别是当注意力需求较高时，2）MDT与PCX和/或OFC的功能连接将根据任务的气味注意力而受到差异调制。为了探讨这个问题，我将在创新的气味注意任务中使用简单的多区域电生理记录（本地现场潜力和单个单位活动）。 AIM 2是在需要任务的气味注意力中测试MDT活动的感觉成分。我将使用光遗传学工具有选择地抑制PCX输出 针对MDT的神经元轴突，并在嗅觉注意任务期间仅记录MDT活动和行为。目标3是测试气味注意任务中是否需要以及何时需要MDT活动。我将使用光遗传学工具在特定行为定义的偶然阶段中有选择和暂时抑制CAMKII表达MDT输出神经元活性。本提案的结果将进一步理解丘脑在气味编码中的神秘作用，并将访问独特的感官方式中关注的机制。