Gonadal Hormone Involvement in Brain Activity

性腺激素参与大脑活动

• 批准号: 9021966
• 负责人: Jill Becker
• 金额: $ 29.45万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1991
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1991-04-15 至 1995-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9021966&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Gonadal; Hormone; Involvement; Brain; Activity

Females of many species, including humans, tend to have lower thresholds for sensory stimuli and can perform motor tasks more rapidly than males. Moreover, differences in sensorimotor function normally occur during the estrous cycle or menstrual cycle and administration of exogenous gonadal steroid hormones can mimic these natural changes. Dr. Becker has evidence to suggest that estrogen enhances sensorimotor responsiveness by having direct effects on the neurons of the basal ganglia that use dopamine as the neurotransmitter. She will examine this steroid-neurotransmitter relationship by analyzing both presynaptic and postsynaptic effects of estrogen on the dopamine system. By comparing the effects of estrogen on dopamine release and receptor activity in both males and females, Dr. Becker will determine whether the known sex differences in sensorimotor performance is related to biochemical differences. Her experiments not only enhance our understanding of the relationship between hormones and neurotransmitters but also how these processes modulate basal ganglia function. Since the basal ganglia of the brain is involved in a number of clinical disorders, including Parkinson's Disease and Huntington's Disease, these results have important implications for our understanding and treatment of these debilitating disorders and other related movement disorders.

包括人类在内的许多物种的雌性往往对感官刺激的阈值较低，并且比雄性更快地执行运动任务。 此外，感觉运动功能的差异通常发生在动情周期或月经周期期间，并且外源性性腺类固醇激素的施用可以模仿这些自然变化。 贝克尔博士有证据表明，雌激素通过直接影响使用多巴胺作为神经递质的基底神经节神经元来增强感觉运动反应性。 她将通过分析雌激素对多巴胺系统的突触前和突触后影响来研究类固醇与神经递质的关系。 通过比较雌激素对男性和女性多巴胺释放和受体活性的影响，贝克尔博士将确定已知的感觉运动表现性别差异是否与生化差异有关。 她的实验不仅增强了我们对激素和神经递质之间关系的理解，而且加深了我们对这些过程如何调节基底神经节功能的理解。 由于大脑基底神经节与许多临床疾病有关，包括帕金森病和亨廷顿病，这些结果对于我们理解和治疗这些使人衰弱的疾病和其他相关运动障碍具有重要意义。