2020 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Somatosensory integration in the Secondary Somatosensory Cortex and its role in the formation of self-body consciousness
| Project/Area Number |
20K15944
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| Research Institution | Institute of Physical and Chemical Research |
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Principal Investigator |
BretasVieira Rafael 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 生命機能科学研究センター, 研究員 (70831907)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
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| Keywords | self-awareness / somatosensory system / secondary somatosensory / integration / self-consciousness |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
During this first year of this study about how self-body consciousness is formed in the brain by integrating the information from different senses, we have completed significant methodological achievements.
The behavioral setup undergone changes that brought the following improvements: higher accuracy and faster calibration of the eye-tracking system, so we can accurately point where the monkey is looking; more ergonomic position of the subject during the experiment, increasing the animal’s comfort and stability of behavior during the task; better video quality (of the recorded real-time self-image), with better environment illumination, image resolution, and less noise.
A new type of recording chamber implant was developed in-house and is currently being tested. This chamber is 3D printed in biocompatible material according to each animal’s individual cranial dimensions, taken from MRI or CT. This has also required developing new surgical techniques for its implementation. The analysis of data has also been improved. By using deep learning AI techniques, different types of behavior and more natural stimuli can be automatically extracted from video, skipping the time consuming process of manually tagging experimental videos.
Finally, a new subject is being trained following the insights gained from the work done with the first subject.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
Instability in the subject's behavior has delayed training to the standard required before data-acquisition begins. The current Covid-19 pandemic has also affected work with the animals, delaying training during the lockdown period and changing some task protocols, which now must be conducted with extreme care to avoid contaminating the subjects. Finally, the new implant design and surgical procedures are being slowly troubleshooted and improved.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Data acquisition will start this year and another subject is being trained. Data classification and analysis scripts are being developed, which aim to automate the time-consuming task of evaluating and classifying (sorting) the large amounts of neuronal information to be gathered by the current electrodes, which can record multiple neurons at the same time. This data will be integrated automatically to the behavioral information, facilitating the analysis and providing robustness to the analysis, striving for accurate and reliable statistical results. These programs and scripts are being prepared and will continue to be developed. Issues with the first prototypes of the cranial implant are being evaluated and design improvements will be implemented also in this next phase.
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| Causes of Carryover |
The unused amount to be carried over to the following fiscal year was due to delays incurred in the experimental schedule in function of COVID related measures.
The budget is planned to be used for purchase of data logging devices, computers for acquiring, storing and analyzing data, consumables and tools, acquisition and care of animal subjects, and participation and presentation in conferences postponed from the previous year.
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