Friday, December 1, 2023
12/1/2023
PROJECT SUMMARY Abstract cognition is defined as the ability to process information not observed in the physical world, such as time, number, and social relationships. Evolutionary theories posit that selective pressures shaped the mammalian brain to manage increasingly abstract representations by co-opting cortical regions initially required for more concrete cognitive processes — such as spatial cognition — to also support more complex processes — such as social cognition. Research focused on similarities across spatial and social cognition is growing, yet few have investigated the neural bases of these similarities and whether they are similar mechanistically. The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is implicated in both spatial and social cognition, but there are open questions about 1) how the PPC supports spatial and social cognition, and 2) whether and how the PPC is involved in the integration of information across domains. This proposal exploits an underutilized approach in cognitive neuroscience — the ability to study higher cognition using the powerful tools available in rodents. Indeed, as social animals and expert navigators, rats provide an ideal model to expand our knowledge of PPC function and its role in spatial and social cognition. The candidate, Taylor Wise, proposes to build on prior research in the sponsor’s lab by comparing the PPC’s role in spatial cognition with its role in social cognition. Completed dissertation work examined PPC function in spatial information processing and sociality through permanent (neurotoxic) and transient (chemogenetic) inactivation techniques. Rats with compromised PPC function showed spared performance on tasks using simple spatial environments and on tests of social exploration, but showed modest deficits in recognizing complex, context-dependent spatial configurations. This suggests the PPC is selectively recruited in tasks that require processing of information at a higher level of abstraction. Planned dissertation work will shed light on the PPC’s role in spatial and social information processing using a novel behavioral paradigm and cutting-edge technologies for manipulating PPC function. In her resubmission, Taylor provides new data demonstrating rats ability to discriminate spatial distances, a critical piece of her dissertation. Taylor will also receive training in advanced statistics and computation in the F99 phase, paving the way for further training in her K00. This proposal includes a thorough plan for finding a postdoctoral mentor that shares an interest in higher-order cognition, which will help to refine Taylor’s current graduate work. One avenue for postdoctoral research is to identify primate models, possibly marmosets, that are appropriate for neural manipulation of social cognition, and can build upon the Taylor’s rodent expertise. Under the guidance of the sponsor and scientific advisory committee, this training plan will enhance Taylor’s current skills and identify a postdoctoral appointment best prepared to propel her into an independent career in comparative behavioral neuroscience at an academic research institution.
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