R34 BRAIN Initiative. Optical interrogation of neural circuits in Manduca Project Summary / Abstract This BRAIN Circuits Planning Project will help to bridge the gap between well-established brain studies on the fruit fly, Drosophila, and complex behaviors exhibited more generally by other species.
PROJECT SUMMARY The cerebellum performs information processing for motor control and various cognitive functions in cooperation with the cerebral neocortex.
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: A major goal in neuroscience is to dissect the neural circuits that support complex behaviors. Comparative approaches are fundamental to the success of this goal, to separate species specializations from general principles, and to understand the brain in light of its evolved functions. The optical tools that have revolutionized circuit neuroscience in rodents must be expanded to investigate a broad range of species.
Project Summary Animals interact with members of their own or other species in the context of social and defensive behaviors, predator-prey relationships and symbioses. In all such contexts, execution of the appropriate kind of interaction depends on a sensorimotor pathway that transduces information about another organism and
Understanding overlap in resting state fMRI networks at the single cell level: a cross-species approach Abstract Resting state functional connectivity MRI (rsfcMRI) is a popular tool to investigate the intrinsic functional organization of the brain into large scale networks. Multiple different lines of investigation have pointed to the importance of densely interconnected `hub' regions for cognition and behavior. However, the functional architecture of cellular circuits in these hub regions is unknown.
A Brain Circuit Program for Understanding the Sensorimotor Basis of Behavior Abstract The Project team's long-term goal is to develop a comprehensive theory of animal behavior that explicitly incorporates neural processes operating across hierarchical levels — from circuits that regulate the action of individual muscles to those that regulate behavioral sequences and decisions. Our innovative approach is guided by the notion that different brain regions are not linked within a single neuroanatomical tier, but rather constitute a series of hierarchically nested feedback loops.
Project Summary During perceptual decision-making, populations of neurons, arranged in highly interconnected microcircuits, work together to encode sensory stimuli and to transform sensory perception into appropriate behavioral choices. A fundamental gap in our knowledge about perceptual decision-making is understanding how the connectivity in cortical microcircuits shapes dynamics and information codes in populations of neurons.
Summary/Abstract Pain is a national health challenge costing our economy more than $600 Billions per year.
Project Summary Sequences of neuronal activity are thought to underlie planning, preparation, and production of voluntary skilled behaviors.
Project Summary How does the brain transform sensory information into complex behavior? The objective of this proposal is to identify the relevant neurons across the brain that are necessary to produce a relatively simple motivated behavior to study and identify fundamental principles underlying coding. Sensory-to-behavior circuits must contain a variety of neural computations such as those that determine the identity and meaning of the sensed cues, gauge internal state, remember previous experience, and command muscle action.
