Grant: Operating Grant

Acetylcholine (ACh) is a principal neurotransmitter in the nervous system. In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), including the neuronal signals to our muscles, ACh has a rapid and direct action on muscles onto which it is released. In the central nervous system (CNS), ACh is also implicated in plethora of brain functions including, attention, learning and memory and sensory function. In contrast to the PNS, in the CNS ACh appears to be released in a diffuse slow manner triggers long-lasting, widespread changes in neuronal excitability. Thus, ACh appears to act as a neuromodulator, rather than a fast excitatory transmitter as it does in the PNS. However, there is mounting evidence that fast, point-to-point cholinergic synaptic transmission may also play a significant role in the CNS, similar to that observed in the peripheral nervous system. However, addressing the role of long range cholinergic transmission is technically challenging and thus the impact of fast cholinergic transmission on specific neural computations has not been explored. In this proposal, we aim to understanding the fundamental properties of cholinergic neurons and how they affect specific neural computations. We will probe cholinergic neurons in the retina, which is the most accessible part of the CNS.Understanding cholinergic function has the potential to provide important insights into the visual changes associated with a decreased ACh in the retinas of Alzheimer's patients and also the side effects of anticholinergic treatments commonly used for diseases such as Parkinson's and myasthenia gravis.