NEUROBEHAVIORAL MODEL OF CNS LYME DISEASE

中枢神经系统莱姆病是一种日益流行的神经精神疾病 美国的疾病。它可能很难诊断，模仿 精神错乱综合症或精神疾病。中枢神经系统的早期诊断 莱姆病很重要，因为它可以用抗生素治疗； 然而，治疗的最佳剂量和持续时间尚未确定 下定决心。不断增加的流行率和困难的结合 诊断和治疗使这种疾病变得越来越重要。 中枢神经系统莱姆病的发病机制尚不清楚。慢性感染性脑炎 患有伯氏杆菌的大脑似乎最有可能，但实际上并非如此。 演示了。细胞因子或其他炎症分子的参与 都是被假定的。到目前为止，在理解方面的进展很差 发病机制，因为缺乏适当的莱姆病动物模型 疏螺旋体病。 我们建议在最近发展的小鼠模型中研究中枢神经系统莱姆病 莱姆型疏螺旋体病。这将回答的主要问题是 项目将是：行为变化是否与慢性感染有关 大脑的？涉及大脑的哪些区域和细胞类型？是 基因决定的中枢神经系统莱姆病的易感性？可以不同 生物体的菌株会引起不同程度的脑病吗？是 细胞因子或其他炎症分子的基因表达增加 与感染或行为改变有关？ 这一建议将有助于更好地理解糖尿病的发病机制。 中枢神经系统莱姆病和慢性感染的神经精神障碍 总体而言。

CNS Lyme disease is an increasingly prevalent cause of neuropsychiatric disease in the United States. It can be difficult to diagnose, mimicking dementing syndromes or psychiatric disease. The early diagnosis of CNS Lyme disease is important because it is treatable with antibiotics; however, the optimum dose and duration of treatment has not been determined. The combination of increasing prevalence and difficulties with diagnosis and treatment make this illness of increasing importance. The pathogenesis of CNS Lyme disease remains unknown. Chronic infection of the brain with B. burgdorferi appears most likely but has not been demonstrated. The involvement of cytokines or other inflammatory molecules has been postulated. Progress has thus far been poor in understanding pathogenesis because of the lack of an adequate animal model of Lyme borreliosis. We propose to study CNS Lyme disease in a recently developed murine model of Lyme borreliosis. The major questions that will be answered by this project will be: Are behavioral changes associated with chronic infection of the brain? What areas of the brain and what cell types are involved? Is susceptibility to CNS Lyme disease genetically determined? Can different strains of the organism cause varying degrees of encephalopathy? Is increased gene expression of cytokines or other inflammatory molecules associated with infection or behavioral changes? This proposal will lead to improved understanding of the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disturbances in CNS Lyme disease and chronic infections in general.