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CANCELED - Cerebello-Basal Ganglia Interactions in Health and Disease

Air date: Monday, October 29, 2012, 12:00:00 PM
Time displayed is Eastern Time, Washington DC Local
Description: Neuroscience Seminar Series

The cerebellum coordinates movement and maintains balance by generating precise timing signals for the proper contraction of agonist and antagonist muscles. Failure of the cerebellum to generate precise timing signals results in movement disorders. The Khodakhah laboratory is interested in examining the cerebellum from the single-cell level up to the behaving animal. Specifically, they are interested in examining the intrinsic properties and information processing of Purkinje cells and DCN neurons under normal and pathological conditions. Their ultimate goal is to understand 1) how the cerebellum generates precise timing signals; and 2) how its dysfunction leads to motor impairments, namely ataxia and dystonia. By elucidating the cellular and synaptic mechanisms of cerebellar function they hope to not only better understand the role of the cerebellum in motor coordination, but also to provide potential therapeutic targets against cerebellar diseases. Their studies on the mechanisms of regulation of intrinsic excitability in Purkinje cells have provided plausible explanations as to why mutations in certain ion channels cause ataxia in several human hereditary ataxia diseases.

For more information go to http://neuroseries.info.nih.gov
Author: Kamran Khodakhah, PhD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Runtime: 1 hour