The effect of activity dependent myelination on to the neuronal circuit activity

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26710004
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurochemistry/Neuropharmacology
• Research Institution: Kobe University (2016-2017); National Institute for Physiological Sciences (2014-2015)
• Principal Investigator: WAKE Hiroaki 神戸大学, 医学研究科, 教授 (90455220)
• Research Collaborator: KATO Daisuke 自然科学研究機構, 生理学研究所, 研究員 ; AKIYOSHI Ryohei 自然科学研究機構, 生理学研究所, 大学院生
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 髄鞘 / グリア / ２光子顕微鏡

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Myelination increases conduction velocity and promotes brain functions. Myelin dysregulation is frequently associated with learning and cognition deficits, ultimately causing neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, it has not been revealed what perturbation of neural activity induced by myelin dysregulation impairs learning. Here, we measured neural activity in the motor cortex during motor learning in transgenic mice with a subtle impairment of their myelin regulation.This myelin dysregulation impaired motor learning and was accompanied by a decrease in the amplitude of movement-related activity, an increase in the frequency of spontaneous activity, and a widening in the timing of cortical responses to thalamic stimulation. Repetitive pairing of forelimb movements with optogenetic stimulation of thalamocortical axon terminals partially restored learning.

Free Research Field

神経生理学