Somatosensory Cortical Influences on Subcortical Processing

描述（由申请人提供）：使用躯体感觉系统作为模型系统，我们计划将神经元示踪剂双侧注射到大鼠感觉运动皮层中，以检验以下假设：双侧皮质纹状体和皮质桥脑重叠对于代表双侧协调的近端身体部位的MI部位的投射最大。在猫中，我们将神经元示踪剂注射到运动和躯体感觉皮层，以测试的假设，皮质桥脑预测SI和SII，使更多的整合比皮质纹状体的预测。在这个项目的后半部分，我们将同时记录躯体感觉皮层中的多个神经元以及新纹状体和脑桥中的神经元。我们将检验新纹状体神经元主要在接受相关（即，相互连接的）皮层区域。我们还将测试的假设，刺激诱导的神经元反应体感更强烈的相关性在脑桥比在新纹状体的反应。 公共卫生相关性：大量证据表明，基底神经节和脑桥小脑系统负责感觉运动整合和相关的认知过程。通过使用解剖追踪方法结合感觉刺激，我们将阐明介导感觉处理的电路机制，并将获得有关这些电路处理认知信息的操作的有价值的见解。基底神经节和桥小脑系统中的神经回路与包括帕金森氏病、亨廷顿舞蹈病、图雷特综合征和其他感觉运动问题在内的几种神经系统疾病有关，这一事实强调了这项工作的潜在临床重要性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Using the somatosensory system as a model system, we plan to inject neuronal tracers bilaterally into rat sensorimotor cortex to test the hypothesis that bilateral corticostriatal and corticopontine overlap is greatest for projections from MI sites representing proximal body parts that are bilaterally coordinated. In cats, we will inject neuronal tracers into motor and somatosensory cortex to test the hypothesis that corticopontine projections from SI and SII enable more integration than corticostriatal projections. In the last half of this project we will record multiple neurons in somatosensory cortex simultaneously with neurons in the neostriatum and the pons. We will test the hypothesis that neostriatal neurons discharge mainly when they receive synchronous inputs from related (ie., interconnected) cortical areas in somatosensory cortex. We will also test the hypothesis that stimulus-induced neuronal responses somatosensory are more strongly correlated with responses in the pons than in the neostriatum. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Substantial evidence indicates that the basal ganglia and pontocerebellar systems are responsible for sensorimotor integration and related cognitive processes. By using anatomical tracing methods in combination with sensory stimulation, we will elucidate the circuit mechanisms that mediate sensory processing and will gain valuable insights about the operation of these circuits for processing cognitive information. The potential clinical importance of this work is underscored by the fact that the neural circuits in the basal ganglia and pontocerebellar systems have been implicated in several neurologic disorders including Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, Tourette's syndrome, and other sensorimotor problems.