Cerebellum and Mental Disorders

摘要 小脑与许多精神健康障碍有关，如自闭症谱系。 精神障碍(ASD)、精神分裂症和成瘾。然而，它对这些疾病的影响并不是 明白了。在这个方案中，我们探讨了小脑是否将直接的兴奋性投射发送到 腹侧被盖区(VTA)，大脑处理和编码奖赏的区域之一，并 下丘脑，这是一个与社会行为有关的区域。使用解剖学、功能性的组合 (电生理学结合小脑通路的选择性光遗传激活)，以及 我们的行为研究测试了这样一种假设，即将小脑投射定向到这两个大脑结构 可能是小脑在生理和心理状态下影响社会行为的底物 病理情况。小脑对VTA和下丘脑的调制缺陷可以解释 最不重要的是，小脑可能会导致自闭症和精神分裂症等疾病。因此， 完成设定的目标不仅会促进我们对非运动功能的理解 ，但可能提供关于许多精神疾病的病理生理学的线索 精神错乱。

Abstract The cerebellum has been implicated in a number of mental health disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia, and addiction. However, how it contributes to these disorders is not understood. In this proposal we explore whether the cerebellum sends direct excitatory projections to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), one of the brain regions that processes and encodes reward, and to the hypothalamus, a region implicated in social behavior. Using a combination of anatomical, functional (electrophysiology combined with selective optogenetic activation of cerebellar pathways), and behavioral studies we test the hypothesis that direct cerebellar projections to these two brain structures may be the substrate through which the cerebellum influences social behavior under physiological and pathological conditions. Defects in cerebellar modulation of the VTA and hypothalamus may explain, at least in part, how the cerebellum might contribute to disorders such as ASD and schizophrenia. Thus, accomplishment of the goals set would not only advance our understanding of the non-motor functions of the cerebellum, but may provide clues regarding the pathophysiology of a number of mental disorders.