Medullary Electrosensory Processing in an Elasmobranch Fish
{'Code': '08090200', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'IOS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Christopher Platt'}
A major problem for sensory processing is the separation of                "signal" from "noise."  Self-generated activity stimulates                      sensory receptors, yet must be distinguished from externally                    produced sensory stimulation.  An excellent model system for                    testing possible mechanisms is electrosensory processing by                     certain fish.  Several fish species have well-developed electro-                receptor systems that are exquisitely sensitive to the tiny                     electrical potentials produced by other animals.  Among elasmo-                 branchs (sharks, skates, and rays), electroreception is used for                prey detection.  The medulla of the brainstem is a major site for               neural processing of this information.                                               This project will examine how physiological mechanisms                     eliminate sensory responses to the intense self-stimulation                     caused by ventilation movements of the gill chambers.                           Preliminary data suggest this mechanism relies on the primciple                 of "common-mode rejection," as central circuits compare inputs                  from different parts of the body and by subtraction eliminate the               signals that all receive simultaneously.  Similar processing by                 the same circuits may enhance sensitivity to differential signals               of natural electric fields.  These experiments will determine the               cellular mechanisms involved, examining the anatomy and                         physiology of the circuits involving the brainstem and parts of                 the cerebellum.  This approach is a novel one with an excellent                 model system, and results will be important for understanding the               fundamental sensory problem of signal and noise separation, and                 for understanding the evolution of electrosense and sensory                     processing in this vertebrate class with such an ancient history.
{'FirstName': 'David', 'LastName': 'Bodznick', 'EmailAddress': 'dbodznick@wesleyan.edu', 'StartDate': '07/01/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'Wesleyan University', 'CityName': 'Middletown', 'ZipCode': '064593208', 'PhoneNumber': '8606853683', 'StreetAddress': '237 HIGH ST', 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Connecticut', 'StateCode': 'CT'}
{'Code': '1185', 'Text': 'SENSORY SYSTEMS'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1988&All=true', 'xml': '8811180.xml'}