Model mouse for vestibular rehabilitation

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K16938
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Otorhinolaryngology
• Research Institution: Nara Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Ito Taeko 奈良県立医科大学, 医学部附属病院, 診療助教 (60623486)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: めまい / モデルマウス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Vestibular disorders cause vertigo/dizziness. After the vestibular function was damaged, the central plasticity of vestibular compensation works and the vestibular function recovers. Developing the methods to promote that vestibular compensation leads to overcoming dizziness balance disorders.
Until now, relatively large animals such as cats and rats have been used to study vestibular disorders and vestibular compensation. However, creating model animals in mice, which are easily genetically modified, will contribute to the development of future research.
In this study, we created highly reproducible dizziness balance disorder model mice and recorded the recovery process, which will be the basis for future studies.

Free Research Field

平衡

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

めまい平衡障害になやんでいる患者は多い。慢性的なめまいは薬物投与で改善することが乏しく、前庭リハビリテーションが有用な治療法として注目されている。しかしその治療法としてのエビデンスは低く、今後有用な治療法として確立させるためには基礎研究を含めた研究が必須である。
本研究はめまい平衡障害の基礎研究のためのモデルマウスを作成する研究として大いに意味があると考えられる。