MORPHOLOGY OF PRE-OCULAR AND VESTIBULAR CELLS

总体目标是使用计算机辅助重建 神经元的生理研究在警觉的动物和注射 辣根过氧化物酶（HRP），以了解神经基础 用于产生和控制眼球运动和前庭 反射 警觉的松鼠猴将被用于范例， 生理上识别与凝视有关的神经元，和/或 前庭刺激 一旦被识别，单个神经元将被 轴突内注射HRP，以观察体淋巴结， 轴突形态 体内记录和HRP注射 麻醉、瘫痪的动物将被用来补充 适当时进行结构-功能研究。 神经元将 使用光学显微镜重建， 计算机化系统。 单次形态参数 细胞已经进入数字存储器，我们将定量 胞体和树突的形态学相互关系 和中枢神经元的轴突树来确定是否有 有序的关系。 我们还将确定 突触前神经元的轴突终支到树突 来推断连接性并建立 神经元的有序排列 使前庭和眼神经系统 来履行其不同的职能。 脑干是一个理想的 神经基质进行这些研究，因为 它的许多功能都是刻板的和机器般的性质。 这些研究是正在进行的项目的自然延伸， 这个实验室有将近二十年的历史。

The overall objective is to use computer assisted reconstruction of neurons physiologically studied in alert animals and injected with horseradish peroxidase (HRP), to understand the neural basis for the generation and control of eye movements and vestibular reflexes. Alert squirrel monkeys will be employed in paradigms to physiologically identify neurons in relation to gaze and/or vestibular stimulation. Once identified, individual neurons will be injected with HRP intraaxonally to visualize somadendritic and axonal morphology. Intrasomatic recording and HRP injection in anesthetized, paralyzed animals will be used to supplement structure-function studies when appropriate. Neurons will be reconstructed using light microscopy aided by a three dimensional computerized system. Once morphological parameters of single cells have been entered into digital memory, we will quantitate the morphological interrelationships of the somata and dendritic and axonal trees of central neurons to ascertain if there are any orderly relationships. We will also determine the relationship of axonal terminal arbors of presynaptic neurons to dendritic arbors of post synaptic cells to infer connectivity and establish sequential neuronal order necessary for the information processing which enables the vestibular and oculomotor systems to perform their diverse functions. The brainstem is an ideal neural substrate in which to perform these studies because of the stereotyped and machine-like nature of many of its functions. These studies are a natural extension of ongoing projects in this laboratory that span nearly twenty years.