The general aim of this grant proposal is to elucidate the role of corticothalamic connections from anterior parietal cortex (APC) to the ventrobasal (VB) thalamus in the processing of somatic sensory information I adult non-human primates. Most studies concerning the processing of sensory input have focused on the ascending flow of information from thalamus to cortex, despite the fact that descending or """"""""feedback"""""""" projections are in many cases more numerous than """"""""feedforward"""""""" projections and provide a substantial substrate for influencing the extraction and detection of pertinent sensory information. Most of what is known concerning the functional significance of corticothalamic projections has come from studies conducted in the visual system, which have indicated that this pathway is capable of altering the receptive field properties of thalamic sensory relay neurons. While a few studies have attempted to discern the influence of corticothalamic input on the responses of relay neurons in the VB thalamus, they have failed to address the fact that substantial difference exist in the anatomical and functional organization of somatosensory systems between mammals. This application addresses the functional significance of corticothalamic connections within the somatosensory system of adult macaques by examining whether pharmacological interference of corticothalamic neuronal activity from APC alters the response properties of VB relay neurons. In addition, this application directly addresses the mechanisms through which these changes might be taking place by examining whether these changes are associated with alterations in markers for glutamate or GABA or their receptors. It is hoped that this research will provide a greater understanding of the complexity of sensory processing by addressing """"""""top-down"""""""" influences over normal activity as well as changes in neuronal responses associated with experience or injury-induced reorganizational plasticity.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
5F31MH011950-02
Application #
2796928
Study Section
Cognitive Functional Neuroscience Review Committee (CFN)
Program Officer
Goldschmidts, Walter L
Project Start
1998-10-01
Project End
Budget Start
1998-10-01
Budget End
1999-09-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Department
Radiation-Diagnostic/Oncology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
937727907
City
Winston-Salem
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27157
Ergenzinger, E R; Glasier, M M; Hahm, J O et al. (1998) Cortically induced thalamic plasticity in the primate somatosensory system. Nat Neurosci 1:226-9