Reconstruction of gait capability of cerebellar ataxia using neuro-engineering procedures

本研究是利用神经工程方法重建小脑损伤动物步态共济失调的基础研究。为此，我们在这里阐明了小脑不同区域损伤后动物的运动性共济失调。小脑内侧损伤的大鼠表现为张力低下，并伴有严重的体位不稳定和运动性共济失调。尽管这种运动缺陷在外侧小脑损伤的大鼠中并不突出，但当它们遇到不熟悉的环境时，它们就会出现运动障碍。切除整个小脑后，自发性运动基本消失，大鼠出现运动障碍。这些结果表明，小脑在运动行为的启动中起着至关重要的作用，内侧和外侧可能分别参与姿势-运动协同和运动适应。不同的神经工程程序将需要重建步态共济失调与内侧和外侧小脑的损害。

This is a basic study aiming at reconstructing gait ataxia of cerebellar damaged animals using neuro-engineering procedures. For this purpose, here we elucidated locomotor ataxia of animals following damages of various areas of the cerebellum. Rats with damages of medial cerebellum displayed hypotonia with severe postural instability and locomotor ataxia. Although such locomotor deficits were not prominent in the rats with damages of lateral cerebellum, they became hypokinetsia when they encountered unfamiliar circumstances. By removal of the whole cerebellum, spontaneous movements were mostly disappeared and the rats became akinesia. These results suggest that the cerebellum plays crucial roles in initiation of locomotor behaviors, and the medial and the lateral part may contribute to posture-locomotor synergies and to locomotor adaptation, respectively. Different neuro-engineering procedures will be required to reconstructing gait ataxia with damages of medial and lateral cerebellum.