CORTICAL ASSEMBLIES · Characterisation of neuronal assemblies in auditory cortex
FP6 — Marie Curie Actions (Human Resources and Mobility)
- Duration
- 2007-02-19 → 2010-02-18
- EU contribution
- €254,389
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- OIF
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Project objective
In the mammalian brain, the neocortex plays a fundamental role in processing sensory information. While cortical areas responsible for processing different modalities may differ in some respects, the similarity of cortical microcircuitry across areas, and the ability of one area to take over the role played by another damaged area suggest that all neocortical areas may employ a single 'algorithm' for information processing.This proposal will investigate the contribution of single cortical neurons to spontaneous and sensory-evoked neocortical activity. We have chosen to work with the auditory modality in rodents as presentation of sound stimuli is technically straightforward, and offers strong control over stimulus structure in the time domain.Presently I have 4 years experience of in vivo whole-cell neuronal recordings. As part of this proposal, I will learn experimental and analytic approaches to studying multiple simultaneous neuronal activity in vivo with a leading research group in this field for 24 months. Newly-acquired skills will be returned to a research group in the EU during the final 12 months of the proposal.A unique strength of this research proposal is our ability to combine several powerful new techniques - in vivo whole-cell patch clamp, multiple large-scale neuronal recordings with multi-site silicon microelectrodes, and novel analysis methods such as 'peer prediction' (Harris et al., Nature 424: 552-555) - to determine how anatomically-identified neurons are driven by, and contribute to, cortical network activity under different conditions of sensory stimulation.This issue is of great importance for understanding the basis of cortical operation, and is likely to provide insights into the principles by which events in the outside world a re represented and processed by populations of cortical neurons.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON · LONDONCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
- RUTGERS-NEWARK STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY · NEWARKCity levelUnited States
Links
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