The neostriatum and related parts of the basal ganglia contain functional channels that separately process prefrontal, limbic, oculomotor, and sensorimotor information received from the cerebral cortex. Although the specific cortical areas that activate each functional channel are different, each channel contains the same basic input-output pattern of connections. By using cutaneous stimuli to activate corticostriatal projections from somatosensory cortex, we can characterize the pattern recognition properties of neostriatal neurons and determine how neural activity in the sensorimotor channel is coordinated during sensory stimulation. Hence, this paradigm presents a unique opportunity for understanding the rules that govern the dynamic operation of corticostriatal circuits across all functional channels because there are no accepted methods for directly activating limbic or prefrontal channels in a controlled, naturalistic manner. ? ? The anatomic and physiologic properties of the neostriatum represent a significant issue in contemporary neuroscience because this brain region has been implicated in Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, Tourette's syndrome, and schizophrenia. In this project we will use anterograde tracing methods to test the hypothesis that corresponding representations in the primary and secondary somatosensory cortical areas send convergent projections to the neostriatum. We will also use retrograde tracing techniques to verify previous results indicating that corticostriatal projections from somatosensory cortex have an anisostropic organization. We will also compare corticostriatal and corticopontine projections to determine if the corticopontine projections follow the same principles of organization that have been identified in the corticostriatal system (ie. Principles of Cortical Proximity, Somatotopic Homology, and Behavioral Cooperativity). Finally, we will record neuronal activity in multiple parts of the cerebral cortex and neostriatum so that we may analyze neuronal interactions between the cortex and neostriatum. These physiology studies will determine whether a primary function of neostriatal neurons is to detect synchronized activity among functionally-related cortical areas.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS037532-08
Application #
7082187
Study Section
Integrative, Functional and Cognitive Neuroscience 8 (IFCN)
Program Officer
Chen, Daofen
Project Start
1999-07-01
Project End
2007-09-29
Budget Start
2006-07-01
Budget End
2007-09-29
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$293,261
Indirect Cost
Name
Pennsylvania State University
Department
Neurosciences
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
129348186
City
Hershey
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
17033
Smith, Jared B; Liang, Zhifeng; Watson, Glenn D R et al. (2017) Interhemispheric resting-state functional connectivity of the claustrum in the awake and anesthetized states. Brain Struct Funct 222:2041-2058
Watson, Glenn D R; Smith, Jared B; Alloway, Kevin D (2017) Interhemispheric connections between the infralimbic and entorhinal cortices: The endopiriform nucleus has limbic connections that parallel the sensory and motor connections of the claustrum. J Comp Neurol 525:1363-1380
Watson, Glenn D R; Smith, Jared B; Alloway, Kevin D (2015) The Zona Incerta Regulates Communication between the Superior Colliculus and the Posteromedial Thalamus: Implications for Thalamic Interactions with the Dorsolateral Striatum. J Neurosci 35:9463-76
Alloway, Kevin D; Smith, Jared B; Watson, Glenn D R (2014) Thalamostriatal projections from the medial posterior and parafascicular nuclei have distinct topographic and physiologic properties. J Neurophysiol 111:36-50
Smith, Jared B; Alloway, Kevin D (2013) Rat whisker motor cortex is subdivided into sensory-input and motor-output areas. Front Neural Circuits 7:4
Smith, Jared B; Radhakrishnan, Harsha; Alloway, Kevin D (2012) Rat claustrum coordinates but does not integrate somatosensory and motor cortical information. J Neurosci 32:8583-8
Smith, Jared B; Mowery, Todd M; Alloway, Kevin D (2012) Thalamic POm projections to the dorsolateral striatum of rats: potential pathway for mediating stimulus-response associations for sensorimotor habits. J Neurophysiol 108:160-74
Mowery, Todd M; Harrold, Jon B; Alloway, Kevin D (2011) Repeated whisker stimulation evokes invariant neuronal responses in the dorsolateral striatum of anesthetized rats: a potential correlate of sensorimotor habits. J Neurophysiol 105:2225-38
Alloway, Kevin D; Smith, Jared B; Beauchemin, Kyle J (2010) Quantitative analysis of the bilateral brainstem projections from the whisker and forepaw regions in rat primary motor cortex. J Comp Neurol 518:4546-66
Smith, Jared B; Alloway, Kevin D (2010) Functional specificity of claustrum connections in the rat: interhemispheric communication between specific parts of motor cortex. J Neurosci 30:16832-44

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