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| Dr. Killackey's Research Description |
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Research Description The cerebral neocortex has undergone great expansion in the course of mammalian evolution. It is also the part of the brain that is most intimately associated with uniquely human functions such as language production and comprehension. The long-term goal of my research program is to contribute to the understanding of the morphological organization and development of this structure at the level of the light microscope. It is at this level of analysis that the enormous complexity of the neocortex is most readily apparent and the level which is relevant for the understanding of behavior. The goals of my research program have been approached by two slightly different but interrelated avenues of research on morphological patterns of neuronal connectivity. The focus of both avenues is the rat somatosensory cortex, the region in which touch information from the body surface is processed. It was chosen because of the orderly and easily demonstrable map of the body surface found in this area (see figure). Research Approach The first line of research is aimed at determining the factors that play a role in establishing orderly maps of the peripheral receptor surface within the somatosensory cortex. Experiments suggest that the formation of such maps involves two different sets of interactions between groups of neurons. The first are intrinsic interactions between groups of neurons at different levels of the neuro axis. These interactions play a role in the formation of broad topographic relations. The second are extrinsic in that they are ultimately derived from the periphery and can be passed along by the neural axis to the somatosensory cortex. Extrinsic factors refine topographic organization into a detailed somatotopic map. The second line of research is aimed at the cortical projection neurons. These neurons interconnect a given cortical area with both other cortical areas and other parts of the central nervous system. During the course of development, classes of these neurons undergo major changes in their distribution pattern. For example, early in development, one major class of cortical projection neurons sends one neuronal process to the other hemisphere and a second to a region within the same hemisphere. In the adult, a given neuron projects to only one of these targets. Ongoing research is aimed at elucidating how the ultimate target is established. |
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