The proposed research will test related hypotheses that thalamus plays a heretofore neglected and critical role in cortical processing. In particular, many thalamic nuclei, that together comprise the majority of thalamic volume and that were previously mysterious in function, we now suggest are critically involved in information flow and functional, dynamic binding between cortical areas via cortico-thalamo-cortical pathways. We propose to study these pathways using the mouse somatosensory system as the model involving both in vitro slice and in vivo whole animal preparations. It appears that, in many and perhaps all cases, cortical areas are connected by both direct and these transthalamic pathways, and we wish to understand why: What is different in the information passed by each pathway? Why does one pass through thalamus with the possibility of being blocked there? Is there nonlinear summation in the target cortical area when both pathways are active, and could this be involved in dynamic linking of areas to subserve various cognitive tasks, such as attention? To begin developing answers to these questions, we propose to probe basic circuit properties of these pathways to better understand the role of the transthalamic pathways in higher cognitive functioning.

Public Health Relevance

We must better understand thalamocortical relationships and the role of thalamus, using the somatosensory system as the model, to follow information flow and other aspects of functioning between cortical areas. This fundamental information may be a prerequisite to understanding and better dealing with a number of cognitive defects, like schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, etc.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS094184-04
Application #
9691519
Study Section
Mechanisms of Sensory, Perceptual, and Cognitive Processes Study Section (SPC)
Program Officer
Gnadt, James W
Project Start
2016-05-15
Project End
2021-04-30
Budget Start
2019-05-01
Budget End
2020-04-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Chicago
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
005421136
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60637
Usrey, W Martin; Sherman, S Murray (2018) Corticofugal circuits: Communication lines from the cortex to the rest of the brain. J Comp Neurol :
Mo, Christina; Petrof, Iraklis; Viaene, Angela N et al. (2017) Synaptic properties of the lemniscal and paralemniscal pathways to the mouse somatosensory thalamus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 114:E6212-E6221