Development of the Somatic Sensory System
{'Code': '08090200', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'IOS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Christopher Platt', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
This three.year project will examine the development of tactile                 discrimination.  It is known that information on touch projects                 to a region of the brain labelled S1, the primary somatosensory                 cortex.  Single nerve cells in S1 respond to touch applied to                   particular local areas of the body, and the area eliciting a                    response is called the "receptive field" of that cell.  The most                effective tactile stimulus for the receptive field of a given                   cell may have particular spatial features (such as preference for               small points, or separation distance between points) and temporal               features (such as rapidly vibrating or moving points, or a                      maintained touch).  In recent studies in kittens, the responses                 of cortical cells appeared to be limited compared to those in                   adults.  Yet in monkeys, infants show touch discrimination that                 is at least equal to adults.                                                                                                                                    This study will examine S1 neurons and psychophysical thresholds                in response to patterned tactile stimulation, in macaque monkeys                during the first year of age.  Response types will be classified                by their capacity to code spatial and temporal features of                      geometric dot patterns applied to the skin of the hand.  The                    stimuli will be presented by an automated discrimination                        apparatus.  Both behavioral discriminations (using a "same or                   different" decision) and neuronal firing patterns will be                       quantitatively measured.  It is expected that the capacity of                   neurons to signal differences between different surfaces will                   relate to the capacity to make behavioral discriminations among                 these same surfaces.
{'FirstName': 'Mary', 'LastName': 'Carlson', 'PI_MID_INIT': None, 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Mary Carlson', 'EmailAddress': 'carlsom@warren.med.harvard.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000332763', 'StartDate': '06/15/1987', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'Washington University School of Medicine', 'CityName': 'SAINT LOUIS', 'ZipCode': '63110', 'PhoneNumber': '3147474134', 'StreetAddress': 'ONE BROOKINGS DR', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Missouri', 'StateCode': 'MO', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '01', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'MO01', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'L6NFUM28LQM5', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
{'Name': None, 'CityName': None, 'StateCode': None, 'ZipCode': None, 'StreetAddress': None, 'CountryCode': None, 'CountryName': None, 'StateName': None, 'CountryFlag': None, 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': None, 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_PERF': '""'}
[{'Code': '1185', 'Text': 'SENSORY SYSTEMS'}, {'Code': '9145', 'Text': 'SPECIAL PROGRAMS-RESERVE'}]
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1986&All=true', 'xml': '8617085.xml'}