Vestibular System Function Following Blast Exposure

项目摘要 不幸的是，爆炸暴露正在成为军事和公共领域的常见经历。 平衡障碍，包括头晕，视觉不稳定和空间定向障碍是最常见的 爆炸伤患者的常见症状。虽然病因不明，但有可能 即使在低冲击波强度下，也会发生前庭感受器及其支配传入神经的损伤 程度.我们已经开发了一种全身冲击波发生器（冲击管），用于啮齿动物， 波形，模仿简易爆炸装置（IED）产生的波形。我们将利用我们独特的 前庭研究的专业知识，以执行解剖，生理和行为研究的组合 以深入了解前庭系统如何受到冲击波的影响，并导致前庭功能障碍。 目的1：研究C57/B16耳石感受器和半规管的解剖结构 小鼠，以及它们的神经传入，在动物组接受不同强度的单一冲击波 波暴露在多个爆炸后生存天，并将其与同龄同窝对照组进行比较， 爆炸暴露在目标2中，我们将研究耳道和耳石传入的动态响应特性， 冲击波暴露后的运动刺激在目标3中，我们将检查前庭眼反射的反应 (VOR)在暴露于相同冲击波条件下的动物中， 将其与非原始窝交配对照进行比较。总之，这些实验试图了解爆炸是如何 暴露会影响前庭系统的结构和功能，因此需要更有效的保护措施， 可以为爆炸暴露患者制定治疗方案。

PROJECT SUMMARY Blast exposures are unfortunately becoming a common experience in the military and public domains. Balance disorders, including dizziness, visual instability, and spatial disorientation are among the most common symptoms reported in blast injury patients. Although the etiology is unknown, it is possible that damage to the vestibular receptors and their innervating afferents has occurred, even with low blast intensity levels. We have developed a whole body blast generator (shock tube) for rodent use that delivers a pressure waveform which mimics that produced by improvised explosive devices (IED). We will capitalize on our unique expertise in vestibular research to perform a combination of anatomical, physiological, and behavioral studies to gain insight into how the vestibular system is affected by blast exposure and leads to vestibular dysfunction. In Aim 1, we will examine the anatomical structure of the semicircular canal and otolith receptors in C57/Bl6 mice, as well as their innervating afferents, in groups of animals receiving different intensities of a single blast wave exposure at multiple post-blast survival days and compare them to same age litter-mate controls with no blast exposure. In Aim 2, we will examine the dynamic response properties of canal and otolith afferents to motion stimulation following blast exposure. In Aim 3, we will examine the response vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) and its neural correlates in the vestibular nuclei in animals exposed to the same blast conditions and compare them to non-blast litter mate controls. Together, these experiments seek to understand how blast exposure affects vestibular system structure and function so that more effective protective measures and treatment options can be developed for blast exposure patients.