研究方向
运动指令不仅控制肌肉,同时也产生了感知副本(efference copy)信号。感知副本信号通过前向模型帮助神经系统预测行动的感觉后果。人无法胳肢自己,可能是因为感知副本信号削减了感觉信号的强度。然而,在很多情况下,感知副本仍是个理论上的概念,缺乏确凿的神经基础:感知副本从何而来?它与运动指令或运动皮层有什么关系?它与感觉系统如何相互作用?我们对这些问题还不清楚。本实验室希望通过研究自产触觉(self-touch)在中枢神经系统的处理机制来理解感知副本信号。通过建立新颖的小鼠自产触觉行为,我们将在单神经元及神经元群体活动的水平解析自产与外加触觉在中枢神经系统中的表征差异,以及产生差异的神经回路机制。目前,我们集中在与体感和运动相关的丘脑,大脑和小脑等区域,并结合神经生理学(在体或离体的膜片钳记录,多通道细胞外记录),光学成像(内源信号成像,膜电位成像,钙成像),光或化学遗传学操作等多种研究手段。通过阐明动物认识自身运动及运动产生的感觉后果的基本机制,我们希望进一步了解神经系统疾病(如精神分裂症)如何影响这个脑的基本功能。
此外,我们热衷神经科学与工程学科的交叉,并尤其对机器人学和虚拟现实技术在动物行为学的应用感兴趣。通过探索动物与虚拟环境的相互作用,我们希望进一步了解动物对感觉信息的处理与对自身行为的监测。
代表性论文
1) Yu J, Hu H, Agmon A, Svoboda K. (2019) Principles Governing the Dynamics of GABAergic Interneurons in the Barrel Cortex. bioRix. doi.org/10.1101/554949 (under review)
2) Gutnisky D, Yu J, Hires SA, To MS, Bale MR, Svoboda K, Golomb D. (2017) Mechanisms underlying a thalamocortical transformation during active tactile sensation. PLoSComput Biol. 7;13(6):e1005576.
3) Yu J*,Gutnisky D*, Hires SA, Svoboda K. (2016) Layer 4 fast-spiking interneurons filter thalamocortical signals during active somatosensation. Nature Neuroscience 19(12):1647-1657. (* equal contribution)
4) Hires SA, Gutnisky DA, Yu J, O'Connor DH, Svoboda K. (2015) Low-noise encoding of active touch by layer 4 in the somatosensory cortex. Elife4:e06619.
5)Yu J, Ferster D. (2013) Functional coupling from simple to complex cells in the visually driven cortical circuits. Journal of Neuroscience 33(48):18855-66.
6) O'Connor DH, Hires SA, Guo ZV, Li N, Yu J, Sun QQ, Huber D, Svoboda K (2013) Neural coding during active somatosensation revealed using illusory touch. Nature Neuroscience 16(7):958-65.
7) Yu J, Ferster D (2010) Membrane potential synchrony in primary visual cortex during sensory stimulation. Neuron 68(6):1187-201.
8) Yu J, Daniels BA, Baldridge WH. (2009) Slow excitation of cultured rat retinal ganglion cells by activating group I metabotropic glutamate receptors. Journal of Neurophysiology 102(6):3728-39..
9) Yu J, Anderson CT, Kiritani T, Sheets PL, Wokosin DL, Wood L, Shepherd GM. (2008) Local-Circuit Phenotypes of Layer 5 Neurons in Motor-Frontal Cortex of YFP-H Mice. Frontiers in Neural Circuits 2008;2:6.
10)Weiler N, Wood L, Yu J, Solla SA, Shepherd GM. (2008) Top-down laminar organization of the excitatory network in motor cortex. Nature Neuroscience 11(3):360-6.
11)Hartwick AT, Bramley JR, Yu J, Stevens KT, Allen CN, Baldridge WH, Sollars PJ, Pickard GE. (2007) Light-evoked calcium responses of isolated melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells. Journal of Neuroscience 27(49):13468-80.