Investigation of functional interaction between multiple brain sites to regulate a higher brain function in macaque monkeys by using a gene-manipulation technique

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26430048
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Nerve anatomy/Neuropathology
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Higo Takayasu 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 脳科学総合研究センター, 研究員 (10396757)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 霊長類 / 高次脳機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been suggested that the higher brain functions in primates including human are regulated by highly developed cerebral cortex. A large number of researches using primates have actively investigated to clarify the functions of anatomical connections between areas. However, the underlying circuit mechanisms of the higher functions remain elusive, because of the difficulties to generate a method of selectively manipulating the interaction between brain sites. In this research project, we mainly focused on a functional interaction between prefrontal cortex and inferior temporal cortex to regulate attention, and in order to identify circuits and neural activities, we were able to develop a technique to projection-specifically manipulate a gene between two areas, and will apply this to trained monkeys to projection-specifically block a brain function, attention, and then analyze them by behavior and electrophysiological studies.

Free Research Field

認知神経科学、分子生物学