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Stop Animal
Exploitation NOW!
S. A. E. N.
"Exposing the truth to wipe
out animal experimentation"
Government Grants Promoting Cruelty to Animals
Washington University, St. Louis, MO
LAWRENCE H. SNYDER - Primate Testing - 2006
Grant Number: 5P50MH071616-030004
Project Title: NEURAL CIRCUIT OF WORKING MEMORY IN NON-HUMAN
PRIMATE
PI Information: LAWRENCE H. SNYDER
Abstract:
Our long range goal is to improve our understanding of working memory at
the level of individual neurons, and to use this information to develop
a model of non-human primate model of disrupted working memory that will
shed light on the neural basis of the cognitive deficits in
schizophrenia. Schizophrenia patients show structural abnormalities in
the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the thalamus that may be related
to their deficits in working memory. We propose to use both established
and novel techniques to investigate normal and disrupted working memory
function in these and other areas. In particular, we will use
whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging in the non-human
primate to identify neural circuits involved in working memory and to
provide a basis for comparison with analogous human data; we will use
single neuron recording in the pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus to
characterize its role in working memory; and we will use a novel
electrical microstimulation paradigm to disrupt function in prefrontal
cortex and thalamus during a context-specific working memory task in
order to probe the structure of working memory at a single neuron level.
By comparing the animal' s performance with that of schizophrenia
patients, we will further our understanding of the role that the
targeted areas play in mediating the working memory deficits of the
patients. Our choice of target areas is guided by the anatomical data of
which explores structural deficits in human schizophrenia patients. Our
experimental design is and will continue to be informed by findings ,
which uses behavioral and imaging techniques to study working memory
deficits in patients. Once our model is established, we will directly
compare patient behavior with that of our model under identical task
conditions. In summary, we believe that our strategy of combining
neurophysiological, neuroimaging and behavioral techniques with
cross-species comparisons will significantly advance our understanding
of the neural bases of both working memory and schizophrenia.
Thesaurus Terms:
brain mapping, prefrontal lobe /cortex, schizophrenia, short term
memory, thalamus
brain electrical activity, cognition disorder, disease /disorder model,
memory disorder, model design /development, pulvinar thalami
Macaca, behavioral /social science research tag, electrostimulus,
functional magnetic resonance imaging, neuropsychological test, single
cell analysis
Institution: WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
1 BROOKINGS DR, CAMPUS BOX 1054
SAINT LOUIS, MO 631304899
Fiscal Year: 2006
Department:
Project Start:
Project End:
ICD: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
IRG: ZMH1
J Neurophysiol 90: 521-524, 2003
Accuracy of Saccades to Remembered Targets as a
Function of Body Orientation in Space
Joshua T. Vogelstein1,2, Lawrence H.
Snyder1 and Dora E. Angelaki1,2
Departments of 1Neurobiology and
2Biomedical Engineering, Washington
University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
Submitted 14 February 2003; accepted in final form 19 March 2003
Three Rhesus monkeys were chronically prepared with skull bolts to
restrain body motion during experimental trials. A scleral eye coil was
surgically implanted under the conjunctiva while animals were under
general anesthesia. Each animal was trained to first perform visually
guided saccades and subsequently memory-guided saccades for ≥3 mo prior
to data collection. All surgical procedures, animal handling and
training were in accordance with institutional and National Institutes
of Health guidelines.
During experiments, animals were seated in a head-fixed primate chair
inside a three-dimensional turntable (Acutronics) equipped with a
three-field magnetic system (CNC Engineering). The animals' bodies were
secured with shoulder and lap belts, whereas the extremities were
loosely fixed to the chair. The chair and magnetic coils could be tilted
in a variety of orientations relative to gravity. Saccades were made
from four distinct orientations: upright, LSD, RSD, and supine. This
configuration allowed dissociation between gravity and head coordinates,
although prohibited dissociation between a head- and a body-centered
frame of reference. Because the magnetic coils moved with the animal,
the recorded eye movements were measured relative to the animals' head
and body axes.
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Rats, mice, birds, amphibians and other animals have
been excluded from coverage by the Animal Welfare Act. Therefore research
facility reports do not include these animals. As a result of this
situation, a blank report, or one with few animals listed, does not mean
that a facility has not performed experiments on non-reportable animals. A
blank form does mean that the facility in question has not used covered
animals (primates, dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, pigs,
sheep, goats, etc.). Rats and mice alone are believed to comprise over 90%
of the animals used in experimentation. Therefore the majority of animals
used at research facilities are not even counted.
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