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

本研究是应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，在这里，我们阐明了运动共济失调的动物损伤后的小脑的各个领域。损伤小脑内侧核的大鼠表现为肌张力减退，伴有严重的姿势不稳定和运动共济失调。虽然小脑外侧区损伤后运动功能障碍不明显，但当遇到陌生环境时，运动功能减退。通过切除整个小脑，自发运动大部分消失，大鼠变得运动不能。这些结果表明，小脑起着至关重要的作用，在启动的运动行为，内侧和外侧部分可能有助于姿势运动的协同作用和运动适应，分别。对于小脑内侧和外侧损伤的步态共济失调，需要采用不同的神经工程方法进行重建。

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.