超声干预神经细胞活动的机理研究

项目名称： 超声干预神经细胞活动的机理研究

项目编号： No.11304153

项目类型： 青年科学基金项目

立项/批准年度： 2014

项目学科： 数理科学和化学

项目作者： 罗林姣

作者单位： 南京大学

项目金额： 28万元

中文摘要： 低强度的超声脉冲已经表现出干预神经细胞活动的潜力，相对于传统的人为刺激神经细胞的方法，超声干预神经细胞具有巨大的临床应用前景，它无痛无损，空间分辨率高，并可以穿透组织聚焦于靶向位置。本项目拟以秀丽隐杆线虫（Caenorhabditis elegans)为模式生物，在分子细胞层次观察超声作用于神经细胞的动态过程，探讨其内部机理。项目拟采取非麻醉的方式物理固定线虫，并采用一对共焦点的圆弧形叉指换能器将超声能量高效地作用于线虫；通过有限元方法进行声场分析，研究线虫神经细胞活动变化的共性/个性与超声激励条件的相关性；在此基础上，优化超声参数，使超声能够最好地激发或抑制特定神经细胞的活动，同时避免对组织造成损伤。该项目的成果将对更复杂的模式生物的研究具有借鉴意义，为超声辅助治疗神经系统疾病的实现奠定基础。

中文关键词： 超声；神经调节；线虫；深层脑刺激；

英文摘要： All currently implemented approaches to the stimulation of brain circuits suffer from certain limitations. Recently, ultrasound has been shown to be capable of noninvasively stimulate brain activity. Depending on the parameters (such as intensity, frequency or duration) of ultrasound irradiation, neuronal activities could be either stimulated or reversibly suppressed. Because ultrasound can be noninvasively transmitted through the skull to target deep brain circuits with a high spatial resolution, it may serve as a promising tool for modulating brain function. However, the underlying mechanisms of this process are rarely studied. Future biophysical studies are required before it can be applied to clinical treatment. Here we propose using C. elegans as a simple model organism, to study the dynamic process of ultrasound mediated neuromodulation at the molecular and cellular level. We plan to fix C. elegans with a physical method without using anesthesia, and the ultrasounic vibration would be transmitted to the object by using a pair of con-focal focused interdigital transducer, which emittes surface acoustic waves (SAW). With the help of finite element method (FEM), the activity of C. elegans will be associated with the actual ultrasonic enviroment. Furthermore, our study will elucidate the possible mechanisms un

英文关键词： ultrasound；neuromodulation；C. elegans；deep-brain stimulation；