The Neural Basis of the Brain-Body Connection

我们对脑-体连接的神经基础几乎一无所知。这种联系就是 使运动，认知和情感处理对功能产生重大影响的电路 内脏器官，如胃、心和脾。这些网络中的不适当信号被认为是 有助于产生一些流行的医学疾病，并导致所谓的“功能性” 和身心障碍在本申请中提出的实验将填补我们的一个主要空白， 知识我们将确定影响，并在某些情况下控制功能的皮层区域。 胃肠道（GI）、心血管和免疫系统。 脑-体连接基于突触连接的神经元链。没有传统 神经解剖示踪剂能够揭示多突触回路。为了克服这个缺点，我们 在非人类灵长类动物中开发了狂犬病病毒作为跨神经示踪剂的用途。我们建议用这个 独特的方法来揭示复杂的网络，负责自上而下的影响， 中枢神经系统在胃，心脏和脾脏。 越来越多的人意识到，许多医学症状，特别是那些无法识别的症状， 病理学，可能是由脑-体连接障碍引起的。尤其如此 通常是难治性疾病，如肠易激综合征，压力和抑郁相关的心脏病， 和纤维肌痛因此，来自我们研究的信息有可能改变 我们观察并治疗这些疾病。 从本质上讲，脑体连接是一个缺乏具体基础科学基础的概念。 这项研究的结果将为脑-体连接建立一个结构框架 从而为严格的研究和新的治疗方法创造新的机会。这 这些信息，由于其包罗万象的性质，即使不是所有的NIH研究所，也会引起许多研究所的兴趣 和中心。

We know almost nothing about the neural basis of the Brain-Body connection. This connection is the circuitry that enables motor, cognitive and affective processing to have a major impact on the function of internal organs such as the stomach, heart and spleen. Inappropriate signals in these networks are thought to contribute to the generation of some prevalent medical illnesses, and to cause the so-called "functional" and psychosomatic disorders. The experiments proposed in this application will fill a major gap in our knowledge. We will identify the cortical areas that influence, and in some instances control the function of the gastrointestinal (GI), cardiovascular and immune systems. The brain-body connection is based on chains of synaptically-connected neurons. No conventional neuroanatomical tracer is capable of revealing multi-synaptic circuits. To overcome this shortcoming, we developed the use of rabies virus as a transneuronal tracer in non-human primates. We propose to use this unique approach to reveal the complex networks that are responsible for the top-down influence of the central nervous system on the stomach, heart and spleen. There is a growing awareness that many medical symptoms, especially those without identifiable pathology, may be caused by a disturbance in the brain-body connection. This is especially the case for often intractable disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, stress- and depression-related heart disease, and fibromyalgia. Thus, the information that will come from our studies has the potential to transform the way we view and treat these disorders. In essence, the brain-body connection is a construct that lacks a concrete basic science foundation. The results from the proposed research will establish a structural framework for the brain-body connection and thus, create new opportunities for rigorous research and novel approaches for treatment. This information, because of its all-encompassing nature, will be of interest to many, if not all of the NIH Institutes and Centers.