2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Membrane and synaptic properties of neurons that are involved in the velocity-position transformation in the vertical eye movement system

Research Project

Project/Area Number	24650160
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Neuroscience in general
Research Institution	Gunma University
Principal Investigator	SAITO Yasuhiko 群馬大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (70290913)
Project Period (FY)	2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
Keywords	神経生理学 / 視線制御 / 神経積分器 / パッチクランプ法
Research Abstract	To characterize neurons in the interstitial nucleus of Cajal (INC) that is involved in controlling vertical gaze, we investigated the electrophysiological properties such as firing pattern of INC neurons using whole-cell recordings in rat slice preparations. Furthermore, we compared the findings obtained from INC neurons to those previously obtained from neurons in the prepositus hypoglossi nucleus that is involved in controlling horizontal gaze. We found that the electrophysiological properties of INC neurons were similar to those of PHN neurons; however, the overall distribution of INC neurons that were classified based on the properties was different from that of PHN neurons. These findings suggest that the neuronal population involved in the gaze control is different between the horizontal and vertical system.

(3 results)