Project Details
Visual object recognition: neural substrate of bottom-up attention (B16)
Subject Area
Cognitive, Systems and Behavioural Neurobiology
Term
from 2014 to 2021
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 118803580
The cognitive ability to sift through a deluge of sensory information and select the most salient or most relevant stimulus for a behavioral response may be the evolutionary precursor of attention and awareness. The midbrain of vertebrates contains circuitry that is specialized for this task. Using behavioral tests for zebrafisch larvae and two-photon imaging of synaptic activity, we wish to identify neurons that contribute to this process. Optogenetic manipulation of the activity of these cells shall be applied to perturb, or re-direct, attention.
DFG Programme
Collaborative Research Centres
Applicant Institution
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Project Head
Professor Dr. Herwig Baier