Neuroanatomic and Functional Characterization of Cerebellar Circuits Mediating Ingestive Behaviors

项目摘要/摘要 了解调节体重(脂肪)的大脑环路的相互联系的网络对于预防 以及肥胖症的治疗。这项提议的目标是为小脑在进食过程中建立一个新的角色。 与肥胖有关的行为。小脑的巨大计算能力(占人类所有神经元的1/2) 大脑是小脑颗粒细胞)传统上被认为与运动有关。然而，安装 证据表明，小脑学习和预测控制机制的运作范围要广得多。 领域：从自主功能到认知和动机行为。根据我们最近的发现 小鼠小脑中一个有效驱动摄食行为的特定区域，拟议的实验 利用最先进的方法来绘制、监测和操纵小鼠的神经回路，以阐明 小脑在进食行为中的作用。拟议的研究将为确定 在现有的生理和环境条件下，小脑在优化摄食行为中的作用。

Project Summary/Abstract Understanding the interconnected web of brain circuits that regulate body weight (fat) is vital for the prevention and treatment of obesity. The goal of this proposal is to establish a novel role for the cerebellum in feeding behaviors related to obesity. The vast computational power of the cerebellum (>1/2 of all neurons in the human brain are cerebellar granule cells) has traditionally been considered in relation to movement. However, mounting evidence suggests that cerebellar machinery for learning and predictive control operates across a much wider domain: ranging from autonomic functions to cognitive and motivated behaviors. Guided by our recent finding of a specific region of the mouse cerebellum that potently drives ingestive behavior, the proposed experiments leverage state-of-the-art methods for mapping, monitoring, and manipulating neural circuits in mice to elucidate cerebellar roles in feeding behavior. The proposed studies will lay the groundwork for imputing a vital role of the cerebellum in optimizing feeding behaviors in the context of extant physiological and environmental conditions.