Abstract Humans have a remarkable ability to flexibly interact with the environment. A compelling demonstration of this cognitive flexibility is our ability to respond correctly to novel contextual situations on the first attempt, without prior rehearsal.
An integrated single-neuronal, population-, local network- and stimulation-based prefrontal investigation of human social cognition This proposal aims to undertake a comprehensive single-cellular, population-, local circuit- and stimulation- based evaluation of the role that the dorsal prefrontal cortex plays in human social cognition. Despite ongoing progress in our understanding of basic elements of social behavior through animal models, astonishingly little is known about the single-neuronal and causal mechanisms that underlie human social cognition.
PROJECT SUMMARY Intracortical brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) can restore lost function for people with severe speech and motor impairment (SSMI) due to neurological injury or disease. Despite tremendous recent progress, iBCI performance remains well below that of able-bodied people.
ABSTRACT Humans can skillfully control their grasp during actions as complex and dynamic as swinging a tennis racket, and as simple and static as holding a briefcase. Both tasks require the use of sensory feedback to achieve and maintain an appropriate grasp force. There is evidence that motor and somatosensory cortices communicate task-relevant information in order to enable skillful movement.
Abstract: The long-term objective of this application is to understand cortical processing of sensory to motor transformations within the human cerebral cortex. A vast number of computations must be performed to achieve sensory-guided motor control. Standing out among these computations, visual information of the goals of action must be transformed from the coordinates of the retina to the coordinates of effectors used for movement, for instance limb coordinates for reaching under visual guidance and to world coordinates for interactions in the environment.
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Episodic memories integrate the content of human experience in space and time and constitute the core of one's identity. Memory formation involves processing, and constructing interpretations of the incoming information in our daily lives and is one of the first functions compromised in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease.
Summary, Overall (Thalamus in the middle: computations in multi-regional neural circuits) This collaborative project aims to uncover the logic of signal routing from subcortical areas to the frontal cortex through the thalamus. The frontal cortex displays rich patterns of neural activity, which can be decomposed into “activity modes” that correspond to specific aspects of behavior. Examples include the persistent activity correlated with short-term memory and motor planning, and the rapidly oscillating activity during voluntary movements.
Summary/Abstract, Core D: Behavioral Analysis and Modeling This proposal’s overarching goal is to understand how internal states influence decisions and to identify the underlying neural mechanisms. The Behavioral Analysis and Modeling Core’s development, testing, and application of statistical tools to rigorously characterize behavioral states is critical to achieving this goal.
Abstract We propose to investigate the role of neuromodulation in the phenomenon of “whole-cortex” activity of the pial neurovascular circuit. This circuit is composed of a network of pial arterioles that integrate neuronal activity with the intrinsic arteriolar vasomotion producing dynamic patterns of coherent oscillations in the arteriolar diameter effectively parcellating the cortical mantle. Prior research suggests that ascending neuromodulatory systems may work in parallel affecting the brain state and processing capacity of large-scale cortical networks.
Project Summary: Project 2 - Linking Fast Timescale Neuron-Astrocyte Communication to Neural Circuit Function and Behavior A fundamental yet unresolved question in neuroscience is how non-neuronal cells communicate with the surrounding neurons, influence their function, and potentially affect animal behavior. Astrocytes are in a unique position to modulate neural circuit function.
