SYNAPTIC ORGANIZATION IN SPINAL CORD AND THALAMUS

描述：(改编自申请者摘要) 这项研究试图确定在选定的 实验后猕猴的体感和运动系统 作为人类神经正常功能模型的手法 疾病或损伤后的系统和功能改变。两个特定的神经元 网络将是研究的重点：1)体感丘脑 累及传入系统的急性和慢性脊髓损伤 已知的人类中枢疼痛状态的损害是由于脊髓 2)正常猕猴的下橄榄核复合体(IO) 我们将确定主要传入系统的突触组织 IO，以及该组织是否在肩部背侧改变 损毁传入投射后动物的副橄榄(RDAO) 来自脊髓或背侧柱核。奥利沃-小脑 系统被认为参与了动作的学习和计时 在动物和人类身上。总体目标是理解这些变化 发生在受伤后，因此新的治疗方法可以被开发出来 应对这些变化。

DESCRIPTION:(adapted from applicant's abstract) This research seeks to define the neuronal and synaptic plasticity in selected somatosensory and motor systems of the macaque monkey following experimental manipulations that serve as models for normal function of the human nervous system and altered function following disease or injury. Tow specific neural networks will be the focus of the studies: 1) The somatosensory thalamus following acute and chronic spinal cord lesions that involve afferent systems known to be damaged in central pain states in humans as a result of spinal cord injury and, 2) The inferior olivary nuclear complex (IO) of normal macaques, in which we will determine the synaptic organization of major afferent systems to the IO, and whether that organization is altered in the rostral dorsal accessory olive (rDAO) in animals following lesions of the afferent projections from either the spinal cord or the dorsal column nuclei. The olivo-cerebellar system is believed to participate in the learning and timing of movements in animals and in humans. The overall goal is the understanding of the changes that occur following injury, so that new methods of therapy can be developed to address these changes.