Effects of Trigeminal Damage Upon Somatosensory Thalamus
{'Code': '08090200', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'IOS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Christopher Platt', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
Recovery of function after nervous system damage is an issue of                 considerable medical and social importance.  That the central                   somatosensory system undergoes reorganization following damage                  has been well established.  However, the extent and nature of                   such "recovery" has been and continues to be the subject of some                controversy.  Further, there has been considerable argument                     regarding the potential anatomical substrates underlying the                    functional reorganization that has been observed after                          somatosensory system lesions.                                                                                                                                   This research project will address these issues by examining                    functional and anatomical reorganization within a relatively                    simple central somatosensory structure, the ventral                             posteriomedial nucleus (VPM) of the thalamus.  Recently the                     P.I.'s found that this nucleus undergoes functional                             reorganization after damage to its chief input.  Normally,                      neurons in VPM receive their main input from the principal                      trigeminal nucleus (PrV) of the brainstem and are responsive to                 stimulation of 1 or 2 large facial whiskers.  However, ablation                 of the adult PrV markedly alters the responses of VPM cells.                    They become sensitive to 6 or more whiskers and dependent upon                  input from subnucleus interpolaris (SpVi) of the spinal                         trigeminal nucleus.                                                                                                                                             The major objective of the proposed research is to define the                   structural substrate underlying this functional reorganization.                 The operating hypothesis is that normally one input to a                        somatosensory structure plays the most significant role in                      determining its organizational features (i.e., somatotopic                      representation and receptive field properties of individual                     cells), but that removal of this input may permit expression of                 very different neuronal responses and topography which are                      attributable to ancillary or redundant afferents to that nucleus.               The P.I.'s also hypothesize that reorganization in the target                   structure will differ depending on whether the major input is                   removed during the course of development or after its completion.                                                                                               This research is likely to yield new insights into the                          plastic capabilities of the central nervous system in response to               damage both in the adult and developing animal.
[{'FirstName': 'Gary', 'LastName': 'Belford', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'R', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Gary R Belford', 'EmailAddress': None, 'NSF_ID': '000229203', 'StartDate': '01/15/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}, {'FirstName': 'Herbert', 'LastName': 'Killackey', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'P', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Herbert P Killackey', 'EmailAddress': 'hkillack@uci.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000169334', 'StartDate': '01/15/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Co-Principal Investigator'}]
{'Name': 'University of California-Irvine', 'CityName': 'IRVINE', 'ZipCode': '926970001', 'PhoneNumber': '9498247295', 'StreetAddress': '160 ALDRICH HALL', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'California', 'StateCode': 'CA', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '47', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'CA47', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'MJC5FCYQTPE6', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': 'MJC5FCYQTPE6'}
{'Name': None, 'CityName': None, 'StateCode': None, 'ZipCode': None, 'StreetAddress': None, 'CountryCode': None, 'CountryName': None, 'StateName': None, 'CountryFlag': None, 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': None, 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_PERF': '""'}
{'Code': '118500', 'Text': 'SENSORY SYSTEMS'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1987&All=true', 'xml': '8719295.xml'}