Computational study of hippocampus-cortical-thalamic interactions: simulating osci...
| Grant number: | 17/07688-9 |
| Support type: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |
| Effective date (Start): | August 01, 2017 |
| Effective date (End): | May 31, 2020 |
| Field of knowledge: | Engineering - Biomedical Engineering |
| Cooperation agreement: | Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) |
| Principal Investigator: | Antonio Carlos Roque da Silva Filho |
| Grantee: | Renan Oliveira Shimoura |
| Home Institution: | Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil |
| Associated research grant: | 13/07699-0 - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics - NeuroMat, AP.CEPID |
| Associated scholarship(s): | 18/08556-1 - Computational study of hippocampus-cortical-thalamic interactions: simulating oscillatory activity, BE.EP.DR |
Abstract The triangular system involving the hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and limbic thalamus is related, in its healthy functioning, with working memory and the alternation between states of consciousness. Dysfunctions in this circuit can lead to psychiatric disorders, cognitive deficits, and amplification of epileptic seizures. To build a computer model of that circuit is the goal of the project. It is intended, in particular, to submit the model to different hippocampal stimulation protocols to induce synaptic plasticity, and analyze the global activity of the cortical subnets. Thus, we can explore how synaptic plasticity hippocampus-PFC is reflected in changes on thalamocortical oscillations, these changes being functional or dysfunctional. The model will contain structural details of the cortical microcircuitry, including excitatory and inhibitory neurons organized in layers, and laminar distribution of neurons and synaptic connections set from the experimental literature. On the other hand, the thalamus will be represented by a generic network of excitatory neurons, and the hippocampal inputs will be represented by spike trains with biologically relevant frequencies. Once constructed, the computational model can be exposed to structural and functional damage (e.g., hippocampal lesions, and prefrontal interneurons hypofunction) seeking to reproduce experimental pre-clinical data. Computational-experimental dialogue will happen in close collaboration with a group of research in neurophysiology (Dr. Lézio Bueno Soares Jr. and Prof. Dr. João Pereira Leite, FMRP-USP), whose recent electrophysiological findings are liable to exploitation in silico. We hope, with such cooperation, to enrich the discussion of neurobiological data and support the design of future experiments in vivo, in accordance with international trends in neurosciences. (AU) | |