2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
The elucidation of brain regions and signaling pathways underlying cannabinoid-induced seizures
| Project/Area Number |
19K19479
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 58040:Forensics medicine-related
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| Research Institution | University of Tsukuba |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
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| Keywords | sleep / wakefulness / SON / photostimulation / EEG / sleep rebound |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Initially, this research project aimed to identify brain regions and signaling pathways underlying cannabinoid-induced seizures. Based on previous in-situ hybridization data we assumed that SO nucleus is involved in cannabinoid convulsive effects and therefore investigated the effect of optogenetic activation of SO nucleus. Unexpectedly, we discovered that bilateral photostimulation of SO nuclei did not induce electrographic seizures, but resulted in increased wakefulness (time in wake) with complete absence of sleep (both NREM and REM) during stimulation. Prolonged photostimulation (4 h and more) resulted in complete absence of sleep and produced massive sleep rebound at the end of stimulation. Prolonged photostimulation (8 h) resulted in the absence of sleep for the first 4 hours and significant decrease of sleep for the rest of photostimualtion time. This suggests that SO nucleus is highly involved in inducing and maintaining arousal state.
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| Free Research Field |
法医学関連
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
Investigation of neural circuit underlying arousal effect of SON photostimulation would provide crucial information on sleep-wake circuitry and the role of hypothalamic SON in maintaining wakefulness
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