National Eye Institute 5R01EY023037-12

Behavioral Consequences and cellular substrates of plasticity in visual cortex

This NIH-funded research project at MIT aims to understand the cellular and network mechanisms underlying visual recognition memory by studying synaptic plasticity in the primary visual cortex and thalamus, with implications for neuropsychiatric disorders.

Description

Understanding how the brain creates memories remains one of the greatest challenges in neuroscience research. The goal of this research project is to identify the cellular and network mechanisms which allow for visual recognition memory. Elucidating these mechanisms will not only provide a deeper understanding of normal brain function, but will also provide insight into disorders where visual perception, learning, and memory are disrupted. The project aims to: Identify how information is stored by the collective activity of neurons in primary visual cortex and the reciprocally connected thalamus. Pinpoint the key sites in the cortical microcircuit where the essential synaptic modifications occur. Determine how these modifications are expressed at the level of circuits and behavior.

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