Project B5 (Güntürkün)

The Emergence of Perceptual Categories at Forebrain Level

Summary

This project involves a systems-level approach that analyses, from the level of single neurons to the whole forebrain, the ability of pigeons to categorise visual objects. The first two project objectives use single unit recordings from visual-associative and prefrontal forebrain areas while the animals see and/or categorise visual stimuli. In the third project objective, the activity patterns of the prefrontal area are modulated via optogenetics, while recording from visual areas. Project goals 4-6 use essentially the same procedure (incl. optogenetics) but implement fMRI, such that the systems level activation and connectivity patterns can be visualised and analysed.

Principal Investigator