Training-induced restoration of topographic maps and vision during opticnerve regeneration

成熟的大脑和脊髓，或中枢神经系统（CNS），是非常复杂的。这种复杂性的后果是，很少有任何自发修复或再生发生后损害。因此，脑损伤和帕拉或四肢瘫痪给个人和社会造成了极高的代价，估计在澳大利亚每年约为10亿美元。因此，最大的医学挑战之一是恢复神经创伤后的功能。然而，在过去十年中，最令人兴奋的进展之一是认识到成年CNS，特别是在损伤后，确实具有修复能力，并且通过相关经验或特定训练产生的适当神经活动对于驱动修复过程以产生有用的行为恢复至关重要。最明显的例子之一来自我们的实验室，我们最近在实验室中证明，在视神经再生期间训练动物进行特定的视觉任务可以恢复有用的视觉;未经训练的动物通过实验眼睛失明。视觉系统的优点是它是中枢神经系统的一个相对简单的部分，其中一个主要类别的神经细胞投射到明确定义和可访问的大脑区域。该项目的重要性在于，我们首次能够在已识别的神经细胞及其连接中确定特定的训练诱导效应，这在其他CNS区域中要困难得多。特别是，我们将研究通过训练诱导的分子，解剖和功能变化，并探讨抑制性神经传递阻滞剂的干预是否进一步提高了训练的有益效果。了解神经细胞的变化，神经创伤后的训练的积极影响的基础将有意义的持续发展的康复策略，改善恢复后中枢神经系统损伤。

The mature brain and spinal cord, or central nervous system (CNS), are extremely complex. A consequence of such complexity is that little if any spontaneous repair or regeneration occurs after damage. Brain injury and para- or quadriplegia thus inflict extremely high costs on the individual and to society, estimated at approximately $1 billion annually in Australia. One of the greatest medical challenges therefore is to restore function following neurotrauma. One of the most exciting advances, however, over the last decade is the recognition that the adult CNS, particularly after damage, does have a capacity for repair and that appropriate neural activity, produced either via relevant experience or specific training, is essential in driving the repair process to produce useful behavioural recovery. One of the clearest examples comes from our laboratory in which we have recently shown that training animals on specific visual tasks during optic nerve regeneration allows useful vision to be restored; untrained animals are blind via the experimental eye. The advantage of the visual system is that it is a relatively simple part of the CNS with one major class of nerve cell projecting to well defined and accessible brain regions. The significance of the project is that, for the first time, we are able pinpoint specific training-induced effects within identified nerve cells and their connections, a task that is much harder within other CNS regions. In particular, we will examine molecular, anatomical and functional changes that are induced via training and explore whether intervention with blockers of inhibitory neurotransmission further improves the beneficial effects of training. Understanding the changes in nerve cells that underlie the positive effects of training after neurotrauma will have implications for the continuing development of rehabilitation strategies for improved recovery after CNS injury.