Network encoding of short-term memory in primary auditory cortex

初级听觉皮层短期记忆的网络编码

• 批准号: 9891041
• 负责人: Nikolas Francis
• 金额: $ 15.45万
• 依托单位: UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-05-01 至 2022-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9891041
• 关键词: Acoustics; Affect; Animals; Attention; Auditory; Auditory Perception; Auditory area; Auditory system; Behavioral; Brain; Communication; Complex; Comprehension; Decision Making; Etiology; Frequencies; Future; Hearing; Image; Individual; Light; Maintenance; Memory; Methods; Mus; Music; Neurons; Noise; Perception; Performance; Periodicity; Pitch Perception; Population; Process; Sampling; Short-Term Memory; Speech; Stimulus; Structure; Task Performances; Training; Work; awake; behavioral response; cognitive process; experimental study; graph theory; hearing impairment; information organization; neural network; normal hearing; relating to nervous system; response; skills; sound; therapy design; two-photon

Project Summary/Abstract Short-term memory (STM) is a fundamental component of hearing that is critical to speech comprehension and auditory communication. Mounting evidence has indicated that the activity in primary auditory cortex (A1) changes when we perform auditory tasks. In this project, our long-term objective is to understand how A1 changes its neural activity and connectivity during the maintenance of auditory STM. We will study how auditory STM is encoded in the structure of neural networks in A1 layer 2/3 (L2/3). We choose to study L2/3 because auditory STM involves an intracortical circuit, and L2/3 is dense in intracortical connectivity. To the best of our knowledge, the representation of STM in neural network structure has not been studied in A1. To explore this topic, we will have animals compare two sequential sounds that are separated by a silent delay. The animals must memorize the first sound to compare with the second sound to give a correct behavioral response during the task. We will record neuronal responses in A1 L2/3 while the animals perform this task. We hypothesize that the neural networks that arise during the first sound will be sustained during the delay until the second sound. We will use both simple and complex sounds to understand how acoustic complexity affects neuronal network structure. Furthermore, we will determine if there exists a stimulus-invariant representation of acoustic periodicity, i.e., `pitch', in neuronal networks. Our preliminary results suggest that neural activity in auditory cortex depends on if the animal successfully discriminates between high vs. low frequency pure-tones. Thus, our results shed light on how the brain's auditory responsiveness depends on how we listen and react to sound. Listening can be challenging for both healthy and hearing-impaired people. Our studies will help clarify the basic understanding of how the brain allows us to listen. As a result, our work will contribute to future therapies designed to enable better hearing in every-day settings.

项目摘要/摘要 短期记忆（STM）是听力的基本组成部分，对语音至关重要 理解和听觉通信。越来越多的证据表明主要的活动 听觉皮层（A1）执行听觉任务时会发生变化。在这个项目中，我们的长期目标是 了解A1在维护听觉STM期间如何改变其神经活动和连通性。 我们将研究如何在A1第2/3层（L2/3）中的神经网络结构中编码听觉STM。 我们之所 皮质内连通性。据我们所知，STM在神经网络结构中的表示 尚未在A1中研究。为了探索这个话题，我们将有动物比较两种顺序的声音 被无声延迟分开。动物必须记住与第二种声音相比 声音在任务期间给出正确的行为响应。我们将在A1 L2/3中记录神经元反应 当动物执行这项任务时。我们假设在第一个声音中出现的神经网络 在延迟期间将维持到第二个声音。我们将使用简单和复杂的声音 了解声学复杂性如何影响神经元网络结构。此外，我们将确定是否 在神经元网络中存在声学周期性的刺激性不变性表示。我们的 初步结果表明，听觉皮层中的神经活动取决于动物是否成功 区分高频与低频纯音。因此，我们的结果阐明了大脑的方式 听觉响应能力取决于我们如何倾听和对声音做出反应。 对于健康和听力受损的人来说，聆听可能都是具有挑战性的。我们的研究将有所帮助 阐明对大脑如何聆听的基本理解。结果，我们的工作将有助于 未来的疗法旨在在每天的环境中获得更好的听力。