SENSORY MEMORY - Neuromodulation of sensory perception and memory: a combined behavioral, electrophysiological and computational approach (FRAMEWORK 6C) (2005-03-22 - 2007-09-21) (»add to infobox)

François JOURDAN, Christiane LINSTER

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS) (FR716 - Rhône) (France), CORNELL UNIVERSITY (US32 - New York) (Usa)

The overall goal of the projects in which the current proposal is embedded is to investigate the roles of different neuromodulator systems in sensory processing and memory. For example, work in our laboratory has indicated that the effects of cholinergic modulation in the olfactory system go substantially beyond its generally assumed role as a modulator of attention. A major advantage of the olfactory system as a model system to study cholinergic neuromodulation is that it receives a unique cholinergic projection from the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca; as a consequence, specific manipulations to this projection will affect only the olfactory system. On the other hand, the olfactory bulb is unique among cortical brain structures in that it contains intrinsic dopaminergic neurons that mediate all dopaminergic modulation therein; nocentrifugal dopaminergic fibers project into the bulb. The olfactory system presents a unique opportunity to investigate the respective roles of intrinsic versus extrinsic neuromodulation in stimulus processing. Similarities in early onset olfactory deficits observed in patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson disease suggest that the specific roles of the two modulators may easily be confounded in some olfactory tests. Because odor perception cannot be measured without odour learning, effects on detection thresholds and effects on learning are difficult to disambiguate. To further investigate the respective roles of these modulators, we are currently testing how both types of modulation affect odour processing. As is the custom in our laboratory, complementary behavioural, electrophysiological and computational modelling studies will be performed; it is the combination of these three approaches that allows us to systematically investigate how changes in neural responses due to experimental manipulations lead to changes in perception.

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