 |
|
Case biologists show that what a neuron can do is a function of mechanical context
February 08, 2006The brain as command center for bodily movement was too simple an idea, thought the Russian physiologist Nicolas Bernstein some 60 years ago. After studying human movements for years, Bernstein pointed out in 1940 that the great flexibility of the body, coupled with unexpected events in the world, meant that the nervous system had to prepare the body in advance for what might happen next.
If Bernstein were right, it would affect the design of prosthetic devices and biologically inspired robots.
Using computer technologies unavailable to their predecessor, researchers at Case Western Reserve University have provided direct evidence for Bernstein's hypothesis. Reporting on their findings in the Journal of Neuroscience are Hillel Chiel, professor of biology, neurosciences and biomedical engineering; Hui Ye, Chiel's former graduate student who is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Toronto Western Research Institute; and Dr. Douglas Morton, another former graduate student who is currently a radiologist at Premier Medical Imaging in Michigan.
To test Bernstein's hypothesis in animals, Ye, Morton and Chiel studied the neural control of swallowing in the sea slug Aplysia californica. In stronger swallows, part of the neural output sets up feeding muscles so that they act in new ways. Specifically, a "grasper" muscle, controlled by motor neuron B8, acquires a new function: it not only grasps the food, but also pulls it in.
Another muscle, called the "hinge," that exerts no force in weak swallows can pull the grasper back during strong swallows. This means that the motor neuron for the hinge, B7, affects behavior in one context, but not in another.
These studies provide the first demonstration of Bernstein's hypothesis in a behaving animal, and indicate that the behavioral roles of motor neurons can change depending on how parts of the body are positioned.
The Case scientists have previously applied their research findings to the creation of mechanical devices that mimic the interactions of an animal's neurons and muscles to produce movement.
"This study demonstrates the interconnectedness of the neurons and the muscles and how it is just as relevant in humans as it is in the less complicated system of the slug," said Chiel, who has patented robotic graspers based on the sea slug's behavior.
Understanding how neurons trigger and interact with the muscles will help Chiel and his research group develop new generations of robots that can move through water or tube-like structures such as pipes, blood vessels and the colon.
Case Western Reserve University
To test Bernstein's hypothesis in animals, Ye, Morton and Chiel studied the neural control of swallowing in the sea slug Aplysia californica. In stronger swallows, part of the neural output sets up feeding muscles so that they act in new ways. Specifically, a "grasper" muscle, controlled by motor neuron B8, acquires a new function: it not only grasps the food, but also pulls it in.
Another muscle, called the "hinge," that exerts no force in weak swallows can pull the grasper back during strong swallows. This means that the motor neuron for the hinge, B7, affects behavior in one context, but not in another.
These studies provide the first demonstration of Bernstein's hypothesis in a behaving animal, and indicate that the behavioral roles of motor neurons can change depending on how parts of the body are positioned.
The Case scientists have previously applied their research findings to the creation of mechanical devices that mimic the interactions of an animal's neurons and muscles to produce movement.
"This study demonstrates the interconnectedness of the neurons and the muscles and how it is just as relevant in humans as it is in the less complicated system of the slug," said Chiel, who has patented robotic graspers based on the sea slug's behavior.
Understanding how neurons trigger and interact with the muscles will help Chiel and his research group develop new generations of robots that can move through water or tube-like structures such as pipes, blood vessels and the colon.
Case Western Reserve University
Neurons Current Events and Neurons News RSSDevelopmental delay could stem from nicotinic receptor deletion
The loss of a gene through deletion of genetic material on chromosome 15 is associated with significant abnormalities in learning and behavior, said a consortium of researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine (www.bcm.edu) in a report that appears online today in the journal Nature Genetics.
New TMS clinic offers noninvasive treatment for major depression
Rush University Medical Center has opened the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Clinic to offer patients suffering from major depression a safe, effective, non-drug treatment.
Researchers explore new ways to prevent spinal cord damage using a vitamin B3 precursor
Substances naturally produced by the human body may one day help prevent paralysis following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College. A recent $2.5 million grant from the New York State Spinal Cord Injury Research Board will fund their research investigating this possibility.
Estrogen therapy likely must be given soon after menopause to provide stroke protection
For estrogen replacement to provide stroke protection, it likely must be given soon after levels drop because of menopause or surgical removal of the ovaries, scientists report in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Researchers identify drug candidate for treating spinal muscular atrophy
A chemical cousin of the common antibiotic tetracycline might be useful in treating spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a currently incurable disease that is the leading genetic cause of death in infants.
Mobile microscopes illuminate the brain
The majority of our life is spent moving around a static world and we generate our impression of the world using visual and other senses simultaneously.
This is your brain on fatty acids
Saturated fats have a deservedly bad reputation, but Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered that a sticky lipid occurring naturally at high levels in the brain may help us memorize grandma's recipe for cinnamon buns, as well as recall how, decades ago, she served them up steaming from the oven.
Sight gone, but not necessarily lost?
Like all tissues in the body, the eye needs a healthy blood supply to function properly. Poorly developed blood vessels can lead to visual impairment or even blindness.
Widely used cholesterol-lowering drug may prevent progression
Simvastatin, a commonly used, cholesterol-lowering drug, may prevent Parkinson's disease from progressing further. Neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center conducted a study examining the use of the FDA-approved medication in mice with Parkinson's disease and found that the drug successfully reverses the biochemical, cellular and anatomical changes caused by the disease.
Statins show dramatic drug and cell dependent effects in the brain
Besides their tremendous value in treating high cholesterol and lowering the risk of heart disease, statins have also been reported to potentially lower the risks of other diseases, such as dementia.
More Neurons Current Events and Neurons News Articles
 |
The Neuron: Cell and Molecular Biology by Irwin B. Levitan Ph.D. (Author), Leonard K. Kaczmarek Ph.D. (Author) The third edition of The Neuron provides a comprehensive first course in the cell and molecular biology of nerve cells. The first part of the book covers the properties of the many newly discovered ion channels that have emerged through mapping of the genome. These channels shape the way a single neuron generates varied patterns of electrical activity. Next are covered the molecular mechanisms that convert electrical activity into the secretion of neurotransmitter hormones at synaptic junctions between neurons. The second part of the book covers the biochemical pathways that are linked to the action of neurotransmitters and that can alter the cellular properties of neurons or sensory cells that transduce information from the outside world into the electrical code used by neurons. The... |
![GIANT Microbes - Brain Cell (Neuron) [Toy]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21Pszh9OqXL._SL160_.jpg) |
GIANT Microbes - Brain Cell (Neuron) [Toy] by Giant Microbes The more brain cells you have, the smarter you are. |
 |
From Neurons to Neighborhoods : The Science of Early Childhood Development by Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development (Author), Youth, and Families Board on Children (Author), Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development (Author), National Research Council (Author), Jack P. Shonkoff (Editor), Deborah A. Phillips (Editor) Authoritative yet accessible, Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the newest evidence about early brain development and how children learn to speak, think, get along with others, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the surrounding context-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.
Are the early years a time of vulnerability or resilience? To what extent are our future prospects constrained by how well we navigate them? How can we get all children off to a good start in life? When should we worry? The committee provides a framework for approaching such vital questions and explores how scientists know what they know about childhood development. This timely release will be important to all those who care about children and their families:... |
 |
From Neuron to Brain: A Cellular and Molecular Approach to the Function of the Nervous System, Fourth Edition by John G. Nicholls (Author), A. Robert Martin (Author), Bruce G. Wallace (Author), Paul A. Fuchs (Author) In the 25 years since From Neuron to Brain was first published, the authors' aim has remained constant—to describe how nerve cells go about their business of transmitting signals, how the signals are put together, and how, out of this integration, higher functions emerge. The new Fourth Edition, while maintaining this focus, has been completely reformatted and updated. The emphasis, as before, is on experiments, and on the way they are carried out. Using a narrative approach, the authors follow a line from the original inception of a new idea to an account of research being done today. The wealth of new facts, techniques, and concepts, however, presented a challenge in keeping the book to a manageable size. Inevitably, the authors have had to delete descriptions of certain... |
 |
Brain Cell (Neuron) Giganticmicrobes By Giant Microbes by Giant Microbes NEW - GIGANTIC Microbes (15-20" plush doll) Plush Educational Toy - The more brain cells you have, the smarter you are. |
 |
Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?: Philosophical and Neurobiological Perspectives on Moral Responsibility and Free Will by Nancey Murphy (Author), Warren S. Brown (Author) If humans are purely physical, and if it is the brain that does the work formerly assigned to the mind or soul, then how can it fail to be the case that all of our thoughts and actions are determined by the laws of neurobiology? If this is the case, then free will, moral responsibility, and, indeed, reason itself would appear to be in jeopardy. Nancey Murphy and Warren S. Brown here defend a non-reductive version of physicalism whereby humans are (sometimes) the authors of their own thoughts and actions. Did My Neurons Make Me Do It? brings together insights from both philosophy and the cognitive neurosciences to defeat neurobiological reductionism. One resource is a "post-Cartesian" account of mind as essentially embodied and constituted by action-feedback-evaluation-action... |
 |
Neurons In Action 2: Tutorials and Simulations using NEURON by John W. Moore; Anne E. Stuart (Author) Neurons in Action 2 is the second version of a unique CD-ROM-based learning tool that combines hyperlinked text with NEURON simulations of laboratory experiments in neurophysiology. Version 2 features nine new tutorials introducing new channel types, single channel simulations, and a redesigned interface. Neurons in Action's moving graphs provide insight into nerve function that is simply not possible with conventional, static text and figure presentations. Students discover how changing parameters such a neuronal geometry, ion concentrations, ion channel densities, and degree of myelination affects the generation of action potentials, synaptic potentials, and the spread or propagation of voltages within a neuron. For instructors, minimovies of NEURON simulations are... |
 |
Day before the night (Extended mix) Neuron (Primary Contributor) |
 |
The Human Brain Poster Series - Laminated, 5 Poster Set. Brain Facts, Brain Structure, Brain Health & Safety, Brain Functions, and Brain Neurons. by Jaguar Educational Brilliantly illustrated and loaded with facts, this poster series provides a unique visual introduction to the fascinating human brain. Using cutaway imagery and colorful diagrams, Brain Matters explores the brain's structure. Brainworks reveals the functions of each of the brain's regions. Knowing Neurons illustrates the electrochemical transmission of signals in the brain and nervous system. Amazing facts and figures are featured in Brain Facts. And Brain Health offers important tips on health and safety. An excellent teaching resource for biology, anatomy and psychology classes. |
 |
Knowing Neurons Clearance Sale Art Poster Print, 18x24 by AllPosters.com AllPosters.com is the world's #1 seller of posters, prints, photographs, specialty products and framed art. We're dedicated to bringing our customers the best selection of high quality wall décor that is perfect for their home or office. Browse our catalog of over 300,000 items that include entertainment and specialty posters, decorative prints, and art reproductions. Whether you're looking for your favorite movie or music poster, a framed Monet reproduction, or a print of the Eiffel Tower you will find it at AllPosters.com. Visit our Amazon store today at www.amazon.com/allposters to find Special Offers and search by subject category or artist. AllPosters.com provides unmatched service with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We ship internationally to over 80 countries. Decorate your... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |