Objective This proposal addresses one of the most profound determinants of brain function and cognition: how is the brain affected by a stimulus that is novel and is therefore potentially significant? The proposal, centred around the auditory system, will decipher the pathways that start with the detection of a novel stimulus and lead through a cascade of inter-related signals to the induction of the synaptic plasticity. We hypothesize that a novel sensory stimulus is detected by the conjunction of the sensory activity it evokes in cortex with inputs from the neurotransmission systems.This conjunction activates electrophysiological novelty responses and the associated expression of immediate-early genes (IEGs). The IEGs can be used to identify network components within auditory and motor cortices that sub-serve sound frequency discrimination in the behavioural training cortex. They orchestrate changes in the profiles of gene expression, alternative splicing and microRNAs leading to synaptic modifications that ultimately change the animal behaviour. To test this model we will study novelty detection using three different readouts: behavioural, electrophysiological and molecular. Genetic engineering manipulations and molecular techniques will be used to assess the relationships between these readouts. Brain disorders such as schizophrenia are associated with abnormal sensory gating of novel vs non-novel stimuli. The expression of such pathologies requires interactions between environmental, electrophysiological and molecular mechanisms.The NovelTune teams aim to link these various processes and elucidate the underlying mechanisms through an interdisciplinary strategy. The network integrates strong expertises including state-of-the-art and high throughput gene expression technologies and the most advanced bioinformatics competence. The combination of these powerful methods is expected to yield profound insights into the cascade of events underlying the processing of novelty. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiologymedical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineeringmedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepathologymedical and health sciencesclinical medicinepsychiatryschizophrenianatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiological behavioural sciencesethology Programme(s) FP6-LIFESCIHEALTH - Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health: Thematic Priority 1 under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) LSH-2005-2.1.3-3 - Cortical information processing LIFESCIHEALTH - Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health Call for proposal FP6-2005-LIFESCIHEALTH-6 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project Coordinator CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE Address 3 rue michel ange Paris France See on map Links Website Opens in new window EU contribution € 0,00 Participants (4) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all INSTYTUT BIOLOGII DOSWIADCZALNEJ IM. M. NENCKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK Poland EU contribution € 0,00 Address Pasteura 3 Warsaw See on map Links Website Opens in new window THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM Israel EU contribution € 0,00 Address The authority for research and development, edmond j. safra campus, givat gam Jerusalem See on map Links Website Opens in new window THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD United Kingdom EU contribution € 0,00 Address University offices, wellington square Oxford See on map Links Website Opens in new window NEWBEHAVIOR AG Switzerland EU contribution € 0,00 Address Hardturmstrasse 76 Zürich See on map Links Website Opens in new window
