Pharmacology and Therapeutics Seminar Series
Date: Friday, March 10, 2017
Time: 12:00 Noon
Location: Basic Medical Sciences 626
Assistant Professor
Department of Physiology & Pathophysiology
University of Manitoba
Topic: Rodent “in vivo” electrophysiology to assess (and boost) spinal neural contribution to the recovery of motor and sensory function.
Research Focus: In order to re-generate spinal neuronal networks, their function in a healthy state needs to be understood. The neurons within the spinal cord are a complex, plastic group of cells which respond to sensory stimuli and can be “re-configured” – in fact, they are constantly being re-configures throughout our life – much like our brain. Re-connecting the brain cells and the spinal cord cells is important, but neurons will have to re-establish connectivity within each other in a way that is functional. How do spinal neuronal circuits function? How are they built for function? – are the central questions of my research. The central nervous system processes sensory input and incorporates our sensations with movements. We often think of voluntary movements being different from reflexive movements, yet our nervous system uses both of these types of movements in a very intricate way to produce appropriate motor output. Sensory motor integration is what I study in order improve our understanding on the neuronal control of movement. The function of spinal networks is the focus of my research, but I use various means to study how specific brain centres control spinal neurons. Currently, I used rodent models for studying interactions between the sensory and the motor neuronal networks. In addition, I am in the process of establishing another line of research for the functional mapping of human spinal circuits.
The main motivation for this work is to understand better how sensory information and motor function is integrated into micro-circuit s within the spinal cord. The more we know about how the spinal networks function, the more opportunities we can create to intervene with the circuits so improved rehabilitation strategies can be designed when training/re-training function after an injury to the central nervous system. The currently ongoing projects in my lab are the followings: i) Neuronal basis for bilateral coordination of movement; ii) Key spinal neuronal populations for coordinated (loco)motor activity; iii) Alternative" corticospinal pathways as targets for improved strategies in the (re)training of motor function in humans.
Looking into spinal cord circuit organization provides a way to test the integrity of higher control systems – i.e. those neurons of the brain that control spinal networks. This provides a theoretical possibility to look for changes in spinal neuronal function and diagnose changes in neuronal processing occurring not only at the spinal cord level but also at the level of the brain. These changes could provide us clues into disease processes early on, even before any structural changes occur in the brain. Thus the functional mapping of human spinal circuits has an important clinical aspect. Developing standard, clinical tests as early disease process markers in the ultimate goal of this work.
For more information contact
Karen Donald
Tel. 204-789-3553
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