2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Neurobiological mechanisms of cerebellar macroneuroplasticity associated with learning

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	19H03536
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 51010:Basic brain sciences-related
Research Institution	Kyoto University (2020-2021) National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (2019)
Principal Investigator	Hanakawa Takashi 京都大学, 医学研究科, 教授 (30359830)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	阿部弘基横浜市立大学, 医学部, 助教 (40737409) 阿部十也国立研究開発法人国立精神・神経医療研究センター, 脳病態統合イメージングセンター, 部長 (60588515) 星野幹雄国立研究開発法人国立精神・神経医療研究センター, 神経研究所病態生化学研究部, 部長 (70301273)
Project Period (FY)	2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
Keywords	学習
Outline of Final Research Achievements	It is increasingly clearer that we are able to observe neuroplastic changes in the brain associated with experiences and learning. Indeed, we have used MRI and found neuroplastic changes in the cerebellum associated with programming learning in humans and with operant conditioning in rodents. Here we intended to combine histological methodology and AMPA PET to elucidate neurobiological mechanisms underlying cerebellar neuroplasticity associated with learning in rats. We obtained PET data from 8 rats before and after operant learning and a control condition. We also acquired specimen after second PET scanning from both learning and control groups. We have developed methodology for histological methodology to measure cerebellar gray matter areas. We also developed methodology to assess changes in AMPA ligand uptake before and after learning. The statistical analysis is still underway.
Free Research Field	神経科学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	脳構造マクロ可塑性の背景となる分子メカニズムはほとんど解明されていない。今後の解析により学習を支える脳構造マクロ可塑性の分子メカニズムが明らかになれば、ギャップの大きい分子レベルの神経科学的知見とMRIなど神経回路レベルの神経科学的知見が連結する契機となる。また、この知見は、学習障害の病態解明、神経損傷回復からのリハビリテーションによる促進、学習を促進するための創薬など幅広い社会応用の道筋が開けると期待される。