2019 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Pharmacological and Optogenetic Dissection of Inferentatial Decision Making
Project/Area Number |
19K23377
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Research Institution | Hokkaido University |
Principal Investigator |
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Project Period (FY) |
2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
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Keywords | Associative learning / Pavlovian conditioning / Sensory preconditioning / Learning and Memory / Inferential processes / Fear memory / Amygdala / Optogenetics |
Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
So far, I was able to set up 4 chambers, and write all the necessary scripts to run preliminary tests. The preliminary results obtained are encouraging and suggest, as expected, that mice are able to integrate separately learned information in order to make a decision. Moreover, thevprocedure I established confirmed previously published results from Ralph Miller's lab, suggesting that in some cases, stimulus response connectivity occurs during integration of separately learned information. This replication constitutes the behavioral basis of our study and will be used during the second stage of our plan to establish a causal relationship between identified memories and their role in the manifestation of fear responses.
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Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
To obtain preliminary tests of my hypothesis, I first had to set up modular chambers for mice, and build the whole self-designed, self-made electronic system to control them and collect the data. This task was time-costly and unexpected troubleshooting also happened. Buying only one chamber fully made from a company would have costed the full amount of the grant. Rather, I could successfully set up 2 chambers, and can still purchase necessary supplies for my experiment. Also, adjusting experimental parameters of my experiments took time as I want to make sure that the observed results can be reliable and replicable. Fortunately, the results obtained so far fit to the proposed hypothesis, which enable me to move to the neural manipulation phase of my study.
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Strategy for Future Research Activity |
From now on, I plan to conduct more control groups in order to neutralize alternative explanation, and to fully test my hypothesis. I plan to finish the purely behavioral experiments before this summer and focus on the neural manipulation during the summer. AAV will be purchased as soon as possible (Covid19 might delay the process though), and I will start the neural manipulation this summer.
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Research Products
(2 results)