Gaze recovery during vestibular regeneration

项目摘要/摘要 头部运动时的凝视稳定是一种高度依赖的复杂行为反应 前庭功能正常的系统。由于前庭功能丧失，患者会出现凝视障碍 在生活中行走时难以阅读、驾驶或在视觉上聚焦。值得注意的是，鸟类展示了 损伤后完全自发的前庭感受器再生，不像人类。在这些 动物在再生后，前庭调节的凝视反应基本恢复。然而， 在再生后，组成凝视的特定眼睛和头部成分反应显著不同， 这表明大脑的可塑性重新连接了控制凝视的神经关联。为了努力 了解再生脑的可塑性，拟议的项目将检查脑功能恢复 鸽子凝视控制不足的特定前庭神经类型。在具体目标1中，神经记录 前庭对运动的传入反应在前庭病变之前和在四个不同的 受体再生的时间点。当从感受器再生运动信号时， 我们将描述正在恢复的信号以及恢复的时间。《特定目标2》将考察中央 前庭神经元，在凝视前、凝视中和凝视过程中， 在再生之后。投射到脊髓或眼球运动中心的前庭神经元 其特点是运动信号正在返回，大脑重新组织凝视控制电路。 再生、基因治疗和假肢都在发展成为新的技术，这些技术将被用来 治疗人类的前庭缺失。了解大脑如何适应这些新的运动信号将 提供必要的见解，以指导新的治疗方法和康复范例。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Gaze stabilization during head motion is a complex behavioral response that is highly dependent upon a functioning vestibular system. With vestibular loss, patients suffer gaze deficits that make it difficult to read, drive, or visually focus while moving throughout life. Remarkably, birds demonstrate complete spontaneous vestibular receptor regeneration following damage, unlike humans. In these animals, following regeneration, vestibular mediated gaze responses largely recover. However, the specific eye and head component responses that comprise gaze differ significantly following regeneration, suggesting that brain plasticity has re-wired the neural correlates that control gaze. In an effort to understand regenerative brain plasticity, the proposed project will examine the functional recovery of specific vestibular neural types that underly gaze control in pigeons. In Specific Aim 1, neural recordings of vestibular afferent responses to motion will be obtained before a vestibular lesion and at four distinct time points during regeneration of the receptors. As motion signals are regenerated from the receptors, we will characterize the signals being restored and at what times. Specific Aim 2 will examine the central vestibular neurons that specifically control the eye and head components of gaze behavior before, during, and after regeneration. Vestibular neurons that project to spinal cord or oculomotor centers will be characterized as motion signals are returning and the brain reorganizes gaze control circuits. Regeneration, gene therapy, and prosthetics are all developing into new technologies that will be used to treat vestibular loss in humans. Understanding how the brain adapts to these new motion signals will provide necessary insights to guide new treatment therapies and rehabilitation paradigms.