The role of Orexin to appetitive behavior regulated by cerebral cortex.

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26870457
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Eating habits; Basic / Social brain science
• Research Institution: Kagoshima University
• Principal Investigator: Kusumoto Ikue 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域医学系, 助教 (80724757)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: オレキシン / 大脳皮質 / 摂食行動 / 食欲 / オプトジェネティクス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The goal of this study was to elucidate neuronal mechanism of appetitive regulation which is controled by cerebral cortex. It has been suggested that not only hypothalamus which has been mentioned strong involvement to eating behavior but also cerebral cortex might have role to control motivation to food. However, because of its complexity of cerebral cortex, it was not easy to study its role for specific behaviors. We applied optogenetics technichs to overcome such difficulty and focused the relationship between orexin and cerebral cortex related appetitive behaviors. We set up three different appetitive behaviors, cumulative eating curve, choice test and operant behavior successfully. And we tested effect of orexin to these behaviors. However, it will be needed to refine optogenetic technique to directly approach relationship between cerebral cortex and orexin.

Free Research Field

神経科学