Summary
Whether and how adult brains retain the ability to adapt their function and structure, especially in the context of learning, injury or restorative treatment is a fundamental question in neuroscience. In particular, understanding how neurons rewire or adapt during plasticity has been limited to (i) local electrophysiological measurements that lack the ability to report on brainwide aspects of plasticity, (ii) terminal experiments preventing longitudinal exploration in the same animal, or (iii) brainwide functional imaging with little insight into the underlying neural activity. Therefore, despite the scientific and clinical relevance of deciphering the neural substrate of neuroplasticity, a mechanistic, brain-wide study bridging the multiple spatiotemporal scales required for understanding neuroplasticity, is still lacking. We here propose to combine cutting edge functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging with calcium recordings in an animal model of visual pathway plasticity. First, we will use this exceptional multi-modal system to investigate the neurovascular coupling during visual stimulation and at-rest. Second, we will apply advanced computational neural models to characterize the functional organization of receptive fields and underlying circuitry across the rodent visual pathway and cortical layers. Third, we aim to map the time-course of functional reorganization and restructuring of neural circuitry following damage to the visual system. To do so, we will induce localized monocular retinal lesions and quantify changes in cortical organization and micro-circuitry resulting from the damage under differential visual experience (dark/ light exposure). This project will provide the first mechanistic description of adaptive circuitry processes and retinotopic (re)organization of the entire visual pathway associated with experience-dependent plasticity. Clinically, this is critical to assess the optimal timing for visual restorative and rehabilitation treatments.
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| Web resources: | https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101032056 |
| Start date: | 01-09-2021 |
| End date: | 28-01-2024 |
| Total budget - Public funding: | 147 815,04 Euro - 147 815,00 Euro |
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Original description
Whether and how adult brains retain the ability to adapt their function and structure, especially in the context of learning, injury or restorative treatment is a fundamental question in neuroscience. In particular, understanding how neurons rewire or adapt during plasticity has been limited to (i) local electrophysiological measurements that lack the ability to report on brainwide aspects of plasticity, (ii) terminal experiments preventing longitudinal exploration in the same animal, or (iii) brainwide functional imaging with little insight into the underlying neural activity. Therefore, despite the scientific and clinical relevance of deciphering the neural substrate of neuroplasticity, a mechanistic, brain-wide study bridging the multiple spatiotemporal scales required for understanding neuroplasticity, is still lacking. We here propose to combine cutting edge functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging with calcium recordings in an animal model of visual pathway plasticity. First, we will use this exceptional multi-modal system to investigate the neurovascular coupling during visual stimulation and at-rest. Second, we will apply advanced computational neural models to characterize the functional organization of receptive fields and underlying circuitry across the rodent visual pathway and cortical layers. Third, we aim to map the time-course of functional reorganization and restructuring of neural circuitry following damage to the visual system. To do so, we will induce localized monocular retinal lesions and quantify changes in cortical organization and micro-circuitry resulting from the damage under differential visual experience (dark/ light exposure). This project will provide the first mechanistic description of adaptive circuitry processes and retinotopic (re)organization of the entire visual pathway associated with experience-dependent plasticity. Clinically, this is critical to assess the optimal timing for visual restorative and rehabilitation treatments.Status
CLOSEDCall topic
MSCA-IF-2020Update Date
28-04-2024
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