Accessing and actuating specified neural circuits underlying motor function and dysfunction

大脑基底神经节区域的神经细胞对决策和行动至关重要。帕金森氏症的主要症状就是基底神经节不能正常工作。在这里，我们的目的是解释基底神经节中的神经细胞如何与其伙伴“运动回路”一起工作，以支持有目的的运动。我们将致力于发现不同类型的神经细胞何时、为何以及如何使用特殊的电活动模式、基因和连接来控制行为。作为这项研究的一个重要部分，我们将定义缺乏化学多巴胺是如何改变这些神经细胞相互作用的方式，以及它们是如何影响行为的，就像帕金森病中发生的那样。这将有助于我们更好地理解为什么帕金森病患者行动困难。这些关键问题不能通过单独研究人类来解决，所以我们研究啮齿动物（大鼠和小鼠）脑细胞的工作方式。这项研究将为基底神经节细胞如何在健康和疾病中相互沟通提供重要的新知识。通过定义不同类型的神经细胞在运动过程中所扮演的独特和互补的角色，这项研究将使我们在开发新疗法方面处于更有利的地位，这些新疗法能够更好地管理大脑活动，并改善帕金森病晚期症状的缓解。

Nerve cells in a brain region known as the basal ganglia are essential for making decisions and acting on them. This is shown by the main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, in which the basal ganglia do not work properly.Here, we aim to explain how nerve cells in the basal ganglia work together with their partner “motor circuits” to support purposeful movement. We will focus our efforts on discovering when, why and how different types of nerve cell use special patterns of electrical activity, genes and connections to control behaviour. As an important part of this, we will define how a lack of the chemical dopamine, as occurs in Parkinson’s disease, changes the ways in which these nerve cells interact and how they influence behaviour. This should help us better understand why people with Parkinson’s disease have difficulties with moving. These key issues cannot be addressed by studying humans alone, so we study the ways in which brain cells work in rodents (rats and mice).This research will provide important new knowledge about how cells in the basal ganglia communicate with each other in health and disease. By defining the unique and complementary roles played by different types of nerve cell during movement, this research will put us in a stronger position to develop new therapies that are better able to manage brain activity and provide improved relief from symptoms in advanced Parkinson’s disease.