SENSORY AND RESPIRATORY INTEGRATION IN C1-C2 SPINAL CORD

描述（改编自申请人的摘要）：目标 这个建议是为了获得有关本能组织的知识 上颈脊髓的感觉处理。 最近 观察得出这样一个概念：该区域可能整合本能 调节伤害性反应的信息。 初步证据 大鼠表明上颈神经元具有下降的投射 处理有毒输入以对感官产生抑制作用 传输在较低的段。 另外还有一组降序 C1-C2 节段的神经元具有呼吸阶段性放电。 没有明确的 已经发现这些神经元对正常呼吸有贡献。 一个 以前没有考虑过的可能功能是 高颈呼吸神经元的内脏输入可能会影响 流出物下降，产生呼吸困难的感觉。 整体 假设是具有下降投射的上颈神经元 受内脏脊髓输入和迷走神经输入兴奋，从而可以调节 脊髓下段的神经元活动。 设计了具体目标 回答下列问题： 1）什么是解剖学？ 上颈椎本体脊髓分布及神经化学含量 神经元？ 2) 上颈椎是否有化学活化/灭活作用 神经元影响脊髓旁臂束或脊髓丘脑束神经元 胸椎段和腰骶段？ 3) C1-C2 是降序吗 本体脊髓神经元，包括呼吸神经元，受内脏神经兴奋 传入输入？ 4) 电生理学、形态学和 单个 C1-C2 神经元的神经化学特征 细胞内渗透？ 神经解剖学、免疫组织化学和 将使用神经生理学技术来确定基本信息 关于上颈椎本体脊髓神经元，包括呼吸 神经元。 从这些研究中获得的数据将有助于理解 可能涉及以下情况的中枢神经机制 自主神经反射障碍、无症状心肌缺血和呼吸困难。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the applicant's abstract): The objective of this proposal is to gain knowledge about the organization of visceral sensory processing in the upper cervical spinal cord. Recent observations led to the concept that this region may integrate visceral information to modulate nociceptive responses. Preliminary evidence in rats suggests that upper cervical neurons with descending projections process noxious inputs to produce inhibitory effects on sensory transmission in lower segments. Additionally a group of descending neurons in C1-C2 segments have respiration-phased discharge. No clear contribution to normal breathing has been found for these neurons. A possible function that has not been considered previously is that visceral input to high cervical respiratory neurons may influence the descending outflow to produce the sensation of dyspnea. The overall hypothesis is that upper cervical neurons with descending projections are excited by visceral spinal input and vagal input, and thus could modulate neuronal activity in lower spinal segments. Specific aims are designed to answer the following questions: 1) What is the anatomical distribution and neurochemical content of upper cervical propriospinal neurons? 2) Does chemical activation/inactivation of upper cervical neurons affect spinoparabrachial or spinothalamic tract neurons in thoracic and lumbosacral segments? 3) Are C1-C2 descending propriospinal neurons, including respiratory neurons, excited by visceral afferent inputs? 4) What are the electrophysiologic, morphologic and neurochemical characteristics of single C1-C2 neurons examined after intracellular penetration? Neuroanatomical, immunohistochemical and neurophysiological techniques will be used to determine basic information about upper cervical propriospinal neurons, including respiratory neurons. Data derived from these studies will provide understanding of central neural mechanisms which may be involved in conditions such as autonomic dysreflexia, silent myocardial ischemia, and dyspnea.