Imaging rapid, use-dependent plasticity of structural and functional circuits in the adult somatosensory cortex

对成人体感皮层结构和功能回路的快速、依赖于使用的可塑性进行成像

• 批准号: 371931-2009
• 负责人: Brown, Craig
• 金额: $ 2.48万
• 依托单位: University of Victoria
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2011-01-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=483796
• 关键词: Imaging; rapid; use; dependent; plasticity

As humans, we take for granted our abilities to form an accurate sensory perception of the outside world or learn new facets of a sensory-motor task that may be required on a day-to-day basis. For example, a new medical student will use their sense of touch to learn how to assess a patients' pulse, quality of breathing or perform a new surgery that requires dexterous maneuvering. In order for us to carry out these activities, the neuronal circuits within our brain must change by adjusting the strength of communication between existing connections or by forming new ones altogether. Although considerable progress has been made towards understanding how our brain changes, much of the work conducted thus far has been done in post-mortem tissue or using imaging techniques that cannot track the exceptionally fast responses of our brain in real-time. Consequently, very little is known about how tactile stimulation or learning can induce rapid structural and functional changes in the cerebral cortex of the intact, living brain. The primary aims of my research will be to use new imaging technologies that will allow me to visualize in the living animal, how the cerebral cortex actively processes tactile information or forms new circuits during sensory stimulation or whilst learning new tactile associations. Further, I will dissect the neurochemical and molecular mechanisms that trigger rapid changes in cerebral cortical circuitry. Performing these experiments will provide critical information regarding the neurobiological mechanisms that mediate rapid forms of sensory learning, habituation and sensitization. Furthermore, knowing how to tune or prime cortical circuits with a relatively innocuous form of tactile stimulation may facilitate the treatment of neuropathological conditions associated with aberrant cortical responsiveness (eg. phantom limb sensations, fibromyalgia, schizophrenia) or the recovery of functions after injury-induced disruptions to cortical circuits.

作为人类，我们理所当然地认为自己有能力形成对外部世界的准确感觉，或者学习日常可能需要的感觉-运动任务的新方面。例如，一名新的医学生将利用他们的触觉来学习如何评估患者的脉搏、呼吸质量或进行需要灵活操作的新手术。为了让我们进行这些活动，我们大脑中的神经元回路必须通过调整现有连接之间的通信强度或完全形成新的连接来改变。尽管在了解我们的大脑如何变化方面已经取得了相当大的进展，但迄今为止进行的大部分工作都是在死后组织中完成的，或者使用的成像技术无法实时跟踪我们大脑的异常快速反应。因此，关于触觉刺激或学习如何在完整、活着的大脑的大脑皮层中引发快速的结构和功能变化，人们知之甚少。我研究的主要目的将是使用新的成像技术，使我能够在活着的动物身上可视化，大脑皮层如何在感觉刺激期间积极处理触觉信息或形成新的电路，同时学习新的触觉联系。此外，我还将剖析引发大脑皮层回路快速变化的神经化学和分子机制。进行这些实验将提供有关神经生物学机制的关键信息，这些机制调节快速形式的感觉学习、习惯化和敏感化。此外，知道如何用一种相对无害的触觉刺激来调节或启动皮质回路，可能有助于治疗与异常皮质反应相关的神经病理状况(例如。幻肢感觉、纤维肌痛、精神分裂症)或损伤引起的皮质回路中断后的功能恢复。