Elucidation of the structure and function of the primate cerebral oculomotor control system by means of cutting-edge neural network analyses

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H02454
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Takada Masahiko 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 教授 (00236233)
• Research Collaborator: MATSUMOTO masayuki
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 大脳皮質 / 前頭葉 / 大脳基底核 / 線条体 / 黒質 / 眼球運動制御 / ウイルスベクター / 霊長類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present research project aims at elucidating the fundamental framework of the cortico-basal ganglia link that is involved in the execution and control of behavioral actions. To this end, we employed a wide variety of cutting-edge techniques, including input-output analyses with rabies viral vectors, network dynamics analyses through multiple (multi-area and multi-site) simultaneous activity recordings, and pathway-selective activity manipulation by means of diverse viral vector systems, and then performed comprehensive research plans for investigating the architecture and information processing mechanism of neural networks achieving oculomotor control in primates. Consequently, we not only have analyzed the distribution patterns of multisynaptic inputs to the oculomotor-related cortical areas in macaque monkeys and the dynamics of the oculomotor-related neural networks, but also have established optogenetic/chemogenetic methods for pathway-selective activity manipulation.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果は、狂犬病ウイルスベクターを利用した入出力トレーシング、神経ネットワークを構成する異なる部位からの多領域多点同時記録、神経路選択的活動操作を組み合わせて、複雑なネットワークをコンポーネント毎に分離、解析するとともに、ネットワーク全体の機能的意義を検証できるという点で極めて画期的かつ重要である。また、眼球運動は学習・認知機能などヒトを含む霊長類で特に発達した高次機能が関与し、多くの精神疾患においてその障害が特徴的に認められるため、関係する神経ネットワークの動作原理を解明する意義は極めて大きい。