Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

The first aim of this application is to obtain funds for the purchase of equipment to complete an electrophysiological recording system. The new system will permit neurophysiological recordings to be made from auditory cortex in the awake cat. Such a system will allow us to record neural activity in individual areas of auditory cortex while the animals are performing acoustic discriminations. Activation of neurons in higher-order acoustic cortical fields is generally difficult during anesthesia. In addition, no behavioral experiments can be conducted under these conditions. Therefore, completion of a system to permit electrophysiological recordings from an awake animal will be a significant advance for our research program. Specifically, we seek to acquire a vibration free table and Faraday cage, a stereotaxic apparatus, and a microscope with camera. We already possess the other necessary hardware and software. The second aim of this application is to obtain funds for the purchase of a state-of-the-art thermodynamic imaging camera to permit the real-time imaging of the cerebral cortex during reversible cooling deactivation. As our laboratory has lead the development of reversible cooling deactivation technology, we have identified that the use of new infrared, thermodynamic imaging technology, only recently made available in Canada, will greatly advance our ability to determine the size of a deactivation locus at time of cryoloop implant. This new technology will permit us to determine the size of the deactivated area, in vivo, prior to initiating electrophysiological or behavioral experiments. This camera will greatly advance our work and data collection. In total, this equipment will immensely enhance the quality of research that is presently carried out on our NSERC grant. In addition, it will enrich the training of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows presently working in our laboratory as well as future trainees.