Neural coding and functional organization of the octopus visual system

章鱼视觉系统的神经编码和功能组织

• 批准号: 10709768
• 负责人: Cristopher M Niell
• 金额: $ 36.56万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-08-01 至 2025-05-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10709768
• 关键词: Neural; coding; functional; organization; octopus

ABSTRACT Cephalopods have large and complex brains, and in particular a highly capable visual system. However, their brains evolved independently from vertebrates, and very little is known about how neural circuits in the cephalopod brain process visual information. In fact, there has never been a direct recording of receptive fields in the central visual system of cephalopods. This study will measure neural activity and visual coding in the optic lobe of Octopus bimaculoides, an emerging model organism for cephalopod research. The first aim will employ two-photon calcium imaging in the optic lobe of juvenile octopuses, combined with controlled visual stimuli, to measure receptive field properties in large ensembles of individual neurons. The second aim will combine this functional imaging with anatomical connectivity, identified via retrograde tracing, to determine how visual information is routed through the visual system and into higher brain regions associated with specific behaviors. The third aim will incorporate these experimental results into computational analysis of the visual features being encoded, and into network models of visual processing. Together, these aims will provide direct insight into the neural coding and functional organization of this unique visual system. This work will be the first to describe neural computations in the central visual system of cephalopods. Examination of a system that is evolutionarily distinct, yet functionally parallel to the vertebrate system, has the potential to illuminate novel ways by which visual processing can be carried out. Likewise, observation of convergence of functional organization in cephalopods, relative to vertebrates and other invertebrates, such as Drosophila, would help identify key features necessary for the function of complex visual systems.

抽象的 头足类动物具有大而复杂的大脑，尤其是功能强大的视觉系统。 但是，他们的大脑从脊椎动物中独立演变，对神经的方式知之甚少 头足动物大脑过程中的电路视觉信息。实际上，从来没有直接 记录头足动物中央视觉系统中的接收场。这项研究将测量 章鱼bimaculoides的视神经叶中的神经活动和视觉编码，这是一种新兴模型 用于头足动物研究的生物。第一个目标将在视频中采用两光子钙成像 少年章鱼的叶，结合受控视觉刺激，以测量接受场特性 在大型的单个神经元中。第二个目标将将此功能成像与 通过逆行跟踪确定的解剖连通性，以确定如何路由视觉信息 通过视觉系统，进入与特定行为相关的较高大脑区域。第三 AIM将将这些实验结果纳入视觉特征的计算分析中 编码，以及视觉处理的网络模型。这些目标在一起将提供直接的见识 进入这个独特的视觉系统的神经编码和功能组织。 这项工作将是第一个描述头足动物中心视觉系统中神经计算的工作。 检查一个在进化上不同但功能平行于脊椎动物系统的系统， 有可能阐明可以进行视觉处理的新颖方式。同样地， 相对于脊椎动物和其他 果蝇等无脊椎动物将有助于确定功能所必需的关键特征 复杂的视觉系统。