Award details

From sense to action: how the nervous system interprets the codes used by visual interneurons in the locust

ReferenceS17899
Principal Investigator / Supervisor Dr Peter Simmons
Co-Investigators /
Co-Supervisors
Dr Frances Rind
Institution Newcastle University
DepartmentInstitute of Neuroscience
Funding typeResearch
Value (£) 206,656
StatusCompleted
TypeResearch Grant
Start date 01/07/2003
End date 30/06/2006
Duration36 months

Abstract

We shall investigate how a nervous system reads the signals with which it encodes sensory stimuli. We shall examine two unique neurons, which receive sensory inputs in the locust brain and carry spike trains spikes to motor circuits in thoracic ganglia. The DCMD neuron produces trains of spikes that track object approaching a compound eye on a collision course, and we shall discover which parameters in a spike train are important for triggering behaviours such as escape jumping or pauses in flying. The DNI neuron receives information from the simple eyes. We shall study in DNI the transformation of graded potential input signals into spike trains, and subsequently how spike trains are decoded to graded potentials in flight motor neurons.

Summary

unavailable
Committee Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research TopicsX – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research PriorityX – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative X - not in an Initiative
Funding SchemeX – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme
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