Neurochemical Monitoring of Motor Regulatory Circuits in theRat Brain

基底神经节是大脑中的一组核，主要负责引起身体部位的运动。迄今为止，神经科学家已经能够通过记录基底神经节内单个细胞的电或化学事件，从这些运动核中收集到轶事数据。然而，这种方法并不能告诉我们细胞核内的细胞群在一次运动中做了什么。因此，如果我们想要完全了解神经回路是如何使手臂运动的，就有必要创造和开发记录设备，使科学家能够从细胞核内的多个位置测量电子和化学事件。Greg Gerhardt博士在固态微传感器的开发上迈出了第一步，这种传感器可以用来监测运动调节的神经化学基质。他计划开发和测试生物传感器，以“实时”监测纹状体神经元细胞外环境中的化学和电子事件。他建议开发多通道硅基生物传感器，用于快速测定实验动物基底神经节中的多巴胺、谷氨酸和乙酰胆碱活性。这项工作非常重要，处于研究的前沿，它将使我们了解大脑运动回路执行和控制的神经化学机制。

The basal ganglia are a group of nuclei in the brain with major responsibility for causing movement of body parts. To date, neuroscientists have been able to collect anecdotal data from these motor nuclei by recording either electrical or chemical events from single cells within the basal ganglia. However, this approach does not tell us what ensembles of cells within the nuclei are doing at one instance to effect a movement. Thus, it is necessary to create and develop recording devices which will allow scientists to measure electrical and chemical events from multiple sites within a nucleus of cells if we are to fully understand how neural circuits operate to cause an arm to move for example. Dr. Greg Gerhardt is taking the initial steps in the development of solid-state microsensors that can be used to monitor the neurochemical substratum of motor regulation. He plans to develop and test biosensors to monitor chemical and electrical events in "real time" in the extracellular environment of striatal neurons. He proposes to develop multichannel silicon-based biosensors for the rapid determination of dopamine, glutamate, and acetylcholine activity in the basal ganglia of laboratory animals. This work is extremely important, being at the cutting edge of research which will allow us to understand the neurochemical mechanisms that underlie execution and control of brain motor circuits.