NEUROBEHAVIORAL MODEL OF CNS LYME DISEASE

中枢神经系统莱姆病是一种日益普遍的神经精神疾病， 疾病在美国。很难诊断，模仿 痴呆综合征或精神疾病。中枢神经系统的早期诊断 莱姆病很重要，因为它可以用抗生素治疗; 然而，治疗的最佳剂量和持续时间尚未确定， 测定日益增加的流行率和与艾滋病毒/艾滋病有关的 诊断和治疗使这种疾病的重要性日益增加。 中枢神经系统莱姆病的发病机制仍不清楚。慢性感染 用B治疗大脑burgdorferi似乎最有可能，但没有 演示。细胞因子或其他炎症分子的参与 被假定了。到目前为止，在理解 由于缺乏适当的莱姆病动物模型， 疏螺旋体病 我们建议在最近开发的小鼠模型中研究CNS莱姆病 莱姆病这将回答的主要问题是 项目将是：行为改变与慢性感染有关吗 大脑的？涉及大脑的哪些区域和哪些细胞类型？是 中枢神经系统莱姆病的易感性由基因决定？可以不同 会引起不同程度的脑病吗是 细胞因子或其他炎性分子的基因表达增加 与感染或行为改变有关吗 这一建议将导致更好地了解的发病机制， 中枢神经系统莱姆病和慢性感染的神经精神障碍 梗概.

CNS Lyme disease is an increasingly prevalent cause of neuropsychiatric disease in the United States. It can be difficult to diagnose, mimicking dementing syndromes or psychiatric disease. The early diagnosis of CNS Lyme disease is important because it is treatable with antibiotics; however, the optimum dose and duration of treatment has not been determined. The combination of increasing prevalence and difficulties with diagnosis and treatment make this illness of increasing importance. The pathogenesis of CNS Lyme disease remains unknown. Chronic infection of the brain with B. burgdorferi appears most likely but has not been demonstrated. The involvement of cytokines or other inflammatory molecules has been postulated. Progress has thus far been poor in understanding pathogenesis because of the lack of an adequate animal model of Lyme borreliosis. We propose to study CNS Lyme disease in a recently developed murine model of Lyme borreliosis. The major questions that will be answered by this project will be: Are behavioral changes associated with chronic infection of the brain? What areas of the brain and what cell types are involved? Is susceptibility to CNS Lyme disease genetically determined? Can different strains of the organism cause varying degrees of encephalopathy? Is increased gene expression of cytokines or other inflammatory molecules associated with infection or behavioral changes? This proposal will lead to improved understanding of the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disturbances in CNS Lyme disease and chronic infections in general.