Functional Neuroanatomy and Applications

IGERT Bootcamp September 2006

Outline

1. 2. 3. 4.

Introduction Visual processing Memory and plasticity Motor systems

First writings of the brain.

Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus (circa 3000 BC)

Neuron Doctrine
Ramon y Cajal

A Course Map of the Brain.

denitions: sulcus vs. gyrus

central sulcus

A majority of the cortex is devoted to vision.

Adapted from Felleman & Van Essen (1991)

Cortex is divided into 6 layers.

gray matter 2 - 6 mm thick

webvision.med.utah.edu

Outline

1. 2. 3. 4.

Introduction Visual processing Memory and plasticity Motor systems

The early visual pathway ips sides.

Carlson N (2004) Foundations of Physiological Psychology

The retina is the beginning of the visual processing.

Kolb (2003)

A cross-section of the canonical retinal circuit.

Kolb (2003)

Spectral sensitivity of each photoreceptor type.

Carlson N (2004) Foundations of Physiological Psychology

The basis of a receptive eld.

light stimulus

Carlson N (2004) Foundations of Physiological Psychology

But, its more complicated

Kolb (2003)

Optic nerve primarily projects to the thalamus.

Carlson N (2004) Foundations of Physiological Psychology

Primary visual cortex is the target of the thalamus.

Carlson N (2004) Foundations of Physiological Psychology

Eye-specic layers project to segregated regions.

ocular dominance columns

webvision.med.utah.edu

Retinotopic map in primary visual cortex

Tootell et al (1982)

Cortical magnication distorts representation.

webvision.med.utah.edu

Neurons in primary visual cortex are tuned to orientation.

stimulus
stimulus OFF

response
stimulus ON stimulus OFF

tuning curve

Firing rate (Hz)

orientation of bar

Adapted from Hubel & Wiesel (19xx)

The orientation preference of neurons form a topology on visual cortex.

color represents orientation of tuning curve peak

Ohki et al (2006)

Radial columns are the basic sub-units of the cortex.

Carlson N (2004) Foundations of Physiological Psychology

Visual circuitry beyond the primary visual cortex.

Adapted from Felleman & Van Essen (1991)

Two streams of visual information

1. motion/space processing

2. form/shape processing

Neurons in the medial temporal (MT) are tuned to motion.

medial temporal (MT) cortex

Albright (1984)

Motion direction is topologically organized in MT cortex.

Albright et al (1984)

Two streams of visual information

1. motion/space processing

2. form/shape processing

Face-selective cells exist in the inferior temporal (IT) cortex.

Desimone et al (1984)

The inferior temporal (IT) cortex projects to the hippocampus.

Does the Bill Clinton cell exist in the hippocampus?

Kreiman et al (2000)

Object-selective cells do exist in the hippocampus.

Kreiman et al (2000)

Outline

1. 2. 3. 4.

Introduction Visual processing Memory and plasticity Motor systems

The hippocampus receives input from all sensory modalities.

The basic circuitry of the hippocampus.

Ramon y Cajal

The basic circuitry of the hippocampus.

Carlson N (2004) Foundations of Physiological Psychology

Synaptic plasticity exists in the hippocampus.

Carlson N (2004) Foundations of Physiological Psychology

Synaptic plasticity exists in the hippocampus.

Carlson N (2004) Foundations of Physiological Psychology

Neurons in the hippocampus have non-visual receptive elds.

Robert Muller http://www.bris.ac.uk/depts/Synaptic/research/projects/memory/spatialmem.htm

Can we read the mind of a rat?

Emery Brown http://neurostat.mgh.harvard.edu

Can we read the mind of a human?

www.cyberkinetics.com

Outline

1. 2. 3. 4.

Introduction Visual processing Memory and plasticity Motor systems

Motor and decision areas in cortex.

www.brainconnection.com

The primary motor cortex contains a homunculus of body parts.

The Brain from Top to Bottom http://www.thebrain.mcgill.ca

A monkey feeds itself with a robot controlled with neural signals.

A. Schwartz University of Pittsburgh

Where do motor areas end and decision-making begin?

Primary motor cortex (M1) Posterior parietal cortex

Supplementary motor cortex (SMA)

Premotor cortex (PMA)

Designing a neural prosthetic for humans.

Richard Andersen http://vis.caltech.edu

Actually, neural prosthetics already exist.

www.cyberkinetics.com

Review

1. 2. 3. 4.

Historical perspective
Imhotep Organization of visual cortex Hippocampus and Place Cells Neural Prosthestics

Visual processing Memory and plasticity Motor systems

Resources

1.

A few good classes.

Neuroscience 200A - Cellular Neuroscience Neuroscience 200B - Systems Neuroscience Neuroscience 200C - Cognitive Neuroscience

2.

A few good books.

Kandel, Schwartz and Jessel (2000) Principles of Neural Science. Squire et al (2003) Fundamental Neuroscience

3.

A few good websites.

Webvision http://webvision.med.utah.edu Neuroscience for Kids http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html

Ventricular system provides cerebrospinal uid to the brain.