NEURAL MECHANISMS OF ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR

描述（改编自申请人摘要）：本提案旨在建立 生物医学研究卓越中心（COBRE）神经机制 适应性行为在美元。 众所周知，人类和 动物受试者可以改变它们的行为以响应环境情况。 对环境做出反应的行为改变是大脑神经回路中发生的适应机制的外部表现。 这个提议的COBRE的主要目的是了解神经通路中的结构重组 导致对新的感觉运动体验的适应性行为反应。 神经回路的功能重组对于以下过程至关重要， 发生在学习和记忆，发展，并在中枢神经 系统对压力或伤害的反应。 美国大学的神经科学小组 最近经历了重大的扩张，并有一个强大的混合初级和 高级教员，他们的主要智力推力将针对 理解行为适应的大脑机制。 这个COBRE将有五个主要的研究项目， 感觉运动适应 Keifer博士将研究 体外经典条件反射 克里斯蒂医生和克拉克医生会检查 增强学习和记忆能力的分子机制 增加神经发生。 科尔斯博士和施伦克博士将研究一种 呼吸模式发生器响应缺氧。 雷纳医生 萨默斯将研究类固醇和单胺对性、压力和 癫痫发作 最后，Morecraft博士将评估局灶性脑梗死的潜在机制。 颅颈肌张力障碍 COBRE的主要目标是促进 理解适应行为的细胞机制， 发展一个全面的理论，解释发生在 细胞水平的适应性运动反应。 解决问题的方法将 是多学科的，采用生理学，药理学，解剖学， 分子和行为实验方法。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the applicant's abstract):This proposal is to establish a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) on NEURAL MECHANISMS OF ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR at the USD. It is well-recognized that both human and animal subjects can modify their behavior in response to environmental situations. Behavioral modifications in response to the environment are an external manifestation of adaptive mechanisms that take place in neuronal circuits in the brain. The main aim of this proposed COBRE is to understand how structural reorganization in neural pathways results in adaptive behavioral responses to novel sensory-motor experiences. Functional reorganization of neural circuits is fundamental to processes that occur during learning and memory, development, and in the central nervous system's response to stress or injury. The Neuroscience Group at the USD has recently undergone significant expansion and has a strong mix of junior and senior faculty members whose main intellectual thrust will be aimed at understanding brain mechanisms that underlie behavioral adaptation. This COBRE will have five major research projects that address the problem of sensorimotor adaptation. Dr. Keifer will study synaptic mechanisms underlying in vitro classical conditioning. Drs. Christie and Clark will examine molecular mechanisms of enhanced learning and memory performance with increased neurogenesis. Drs. Coles and Schlenker will study adaptation of a respiratory pattern generator in response to oxygen deprivation. Drs. Renner and Summers will examine steroid and monamine effects on sex, stress and seizures. Finally, Dr. Morecraft will assess mechanisms underlying focal cranial-cervical dystonia. The main goal of COBRE is to contribute to an understanding of the cellular mechanisms that underlie adaptive behavior and to develop a comprehensive theory that accounts for changes occurring at the cellular level with adaptive motor responses. The approach to the problem will be multi-disciplinary, employing physiological, pharmacological, anatomical, molecular and behavioral experimental approaches.