The nature of sensory gating – probing the function of a corticofugal loop.

01/01/2024 to 31/12/2026

The brain is assumed to contain many predictive systems spanning the enormous functional
range from simple sensorimotor interactions to conscious planning. It is a challenge to delineate
predictive systems, as they are related to highly plastic brain structures that co-evolved and
tend to be highly interconnected (e.g. neocortex vs. cerebellum). The challenge, however, is
worth to be tackled, as dysfunction of one predictive system, could in principle alleviated by
furthering another one with overlapping function.
The classical description of sensory gating (SG) has been that planning and execution of body
movement leads to modulation of peripheral sensory signal flow. This description already
assumes a role for feedback signals sent from central to peripheral processing stations, and it
points to a possible role of SG as a predictive system.
The goal of the present proposal is three-pronged. We firstly want to demonstrate the
separation of SG from other predictive systems. Second, we attempt to explain its elusive
behavioral function. Third we plan to elucidate its neuronal mechanisms, involving a
corticobulbar loop, with which peripheral sensory signals are brought under top-down control.