Collaborative Research: The Hemo-Neural Hypothesis

合作研究：血液神经假说

• 批准号: 0823785
• 负责人: Joshua Brumberg
• 金额: $ 12.35万
• 依托单位: CUNY Queens College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-08-15 至 2011-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0823785&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Hemo; Neural; Hypothesis

The proposed research will test the novel hypothesis that enhanced blood supply to a local brain region impacts neural processing. A key feature of neural circuits is their flexibility, their ability to respond differently (for example, to a sensory stimulus) depending on context. This flexibility allows organisms in general and humans in particular to perform crucial tasks for survival, such as shifting attention. This flexibility is also crucial to brain health: Failures in normal mechanisms of neural dynamics?in the normal ability to shift sensitivity?have been implicated in diseases ranging from epilepsy to schizophrenia.In this project the PIs will test the prediction that changes in blood supply to cortical sensory neurons can modulate their responses to sensory inputs. To test this hypothesis, they will integrate four techniques, bringing together expertise from two laboratories: whole animal electrophysiological and imaging studies to define the effect of changes in blood flow on neural activity and electrophysiological and imaging studies in brain slices to begin to investigate the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. A key feature of the proposed research is development of a novel means of bidirectional blood flow regulation, the viral transfection of light-activated channels into smooth muscle. By constricting or relaxing smooth muscles using directed light, they will expand or contract local cerebral arterioles, regulating blood supply. This method provides an approach independent of the potential confounds of pharmacological intervention. A second key feature of the proposed research is a summer research initiative for Queens College students at MIT. This program will provide a unique opportunity for Queens College students to experience the MIT environment, systematic training in research proposal development, execution of this plan, training in research ethics, and writing a summary for publication.

拟议的研究将测试新的假设，即增加局部大脑区域的血液供应会影响神经处理。 神经回路的一个关键特征是它们的灵活性，以及​​根据环境做出不同反应（例如，对感觉刺激）的能力。 这种灵活性使得生物体，特别是人类能够执行生存的关键任务，例如转移注意力。 这种灵活性对于大脑健康也至关重要：正常的神经动力学机制（即正常的敏感性转移能力）的失败与从癫痫到精神分裂症等一系列疾病有关。在这个项目中，PI 将测试这一预测：皮层感觉神经元的血液供应变化可以调节它们对感觉输入的反应。 为了检验这一假设，他们将整合四种技术，汇集两个实验室的专业知识：整个动物电生理学和成像研究，以确定血流变化对神经活动的影响，以及脑切片中的电生理学和成像研究，开始研究这种现象背后的机制。 该研究的一个关键特征是开发一种双向血流调节的新方法，即将光激活通道病毒转染到平滑肌中。 通过使用定向光收缩或放松平滑肌，它们会扩张或收缩局部脑小动脉，从而调节血液供应。 该方法提供了一种独立于药物干预的潜在混淆的方法。拟议研究的第二个关键特征是针对麻省理工学院皇后学院学生的夏季研究计划。 该项目将为皇后学院的学生提供一个独特的机会，让他们体验麻省理工学院的环境、研究计划制定、计划执行、研究伦理培训以及撰写出版摘要方面的系统培训。