Synaptic mechanisms of sensory perception
Event details
| Date | 19.11.2012 |
| Hour | 12:15 › 13:15 |
| Speaker | Dr Carl Petersen, EPFL /FSV/BMI/LSENS |
| Location |
SV 1717 A
|
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Sensory percepts are internal constructs generated by the activity of neurons in complex neural networks distributed across the brain. Experimental investigation of perception in animals requires behavioral report of subjective sensory experience. The simplest forms of sensory perception can be regarded as transformations of sensory information into learned motor outputs. The aim of my laboratory is to probe the synaptic mechanisms driving neural circuit function during learning and execution of simple goal-directed sensorimotor transformations. We train mice to detect tactile whisker stimulation and to report perceived stimuli by licking to obtain a reward. We correlate behavioral performance with the activity of genetically-defined cell-types measured through whole-cell membrane potential recordings, two-photon imaging and voltage-sensitive dye imaging. We perturb the function of genetically-defined cell-types through optogenetics. Our experiments begin to shed light on the causal mechanisms underlying simple forms of sensory perception and associative learning.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Organizer
- Faculty SV
Contact
- Dr H. Hirling, M. Mary