# The functional logic of local circuits in auditory and parietal cortices

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2024 · $594,286

## Abstract

Project Summary
The cortical column is a fundamental unit of processing in the cerebral cortex. Within each column are
subnetworks of interconnected excitatory and inhibitory neurons, and this structure is repeated across the
cortical processing hierarchy. We propose that inhibitory interneurons, through specialized circuits that can
result in both inhibition and disinhibition of pyramidal neuron firing, are crucial aspects of specialized
processing in cortical circuits across the processing hierarchy. To understand the roles of inhibition and
disinhibition in cortical processing, the patterns interaction among cell types must be related to the functional
properties of the local population.
Primary auditory cortex (A1) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) are situated at different levels of the
processing hierarchy. In the proposed experiments, we will compare the functional logic of excitatory and
inhibitory microcircuits in A1 and PPC, to determine the properties of local network organization that generalize
and specialize across sensory and association cortex. In aim 1, we will compare the spatial and functional
structure of excitatory impacts on local populations in A1 and PPC, by combining single cell optogenetic
stimulation with two-photon calcium imaging in mice performing an auditory localization task. In aim 2, we will
determine the spatial and functional properties of local inhibitory and disinhibitory motifs, by mapping the
influence of individual inhibitory neurons on the local population. In aim 3, we will explore more natural
stimulation patterns and their effects on cell-type-specific interactions. Together, these experiments will reveal
the computational roles of specific cell types in local circuits, and establish the similarities and differences in
the functional microcircuitry of sensory and association cortex.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10975069
- **Project number:** 1R01NS135074-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Caroline Anne Runyan
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $594,286
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-23 → 2029-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10975069

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10975069, The functional logic of local circuits in auditory and parietal cortices (1R01NS135074-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10975069. Licensed CC0.

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