Synaptic connections and electrophysiological properties of neurones in the intermedius nucleus of the medulla oblongata

我们实验室的实验使我们注意到一组功能未知的神经细胞（神经元）。这些神经元位于脑干的一个独立区域，脑干是大脑中控制呼吸和心血管维持的关键身体系统的部分。众所周知，当颈部肌肉被拉伸时，神经元所在的细胞核会接收来自颈部肌肉的信息，但这些信息的用途还有待确定。我们的初步证据至少支持两种观点，即该核中的细胞/向涉及心肺控制和/或协调吞咽和呼吸的神经回路发送颈部肌肉信号。为了帮助确定细胞是否参与控制这些功能，我们将使用现代神经解剖学方法研究它们向哪些大脑区域发送信息和从哪些区域接收信息。这将包括在可能的情况下识别大脑其他区域的细胞类型。我们还将仔细研究细胞本身的解剖学和电学特性，因为这些特性会影响细胞对传入信息的反应，从而影响这些信息如何传递给其他神经元。因此，这些研究将澄清一个未被探索的大脑核的连接和功能，我们提出它参与控制重要的身体功能。

Experiments in our laboratory have brought to our attention a collection of nerve cells (neurones) whose function is unknown. The neurones are located in a discrete region in the brainstem, the part of the brain that controls body systems critical for breathing and cardiovascular maintenance. The nucleus in which the neurones reside is known to receive information from neck muscles when they are stretched, but what this information is used for needs to be determined. Our preliminary evidence supports at least two ideas for cells in this nucleus / signalling neck muscle stretching to circuits involved in cardiorespiratory control and/or those involved in co-ordinating swallowing and breathing. To help determine if the cells participate in controlling such functions, we will investigate what other brain regions they send information to and receive information from using contemporary neuroanatomical methods. This will involve identifying cell types in the other brain regions where possible. We will also closely investigate the anatomical and electrical properties of the cells themselves since these features infleunce how the cells respond to incoming information and therefore how this information is passed on to other neurones. These studies will therefore clarify the connections and functions of an unexplored brain nucleus that we propose is involved in controlling important body functions.