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Project 1：Developmental Neuroscience/Neurophysiology |
(1） Analysis of functional organization
of the cardiovascular/respiratory center
(2）
Analysis of functional organization of spinal cord
(3）
Discovery of the spreading depolarization wave and its significance
in development
(4） Functional mapping of
the developing central nervous system
Using optical methods for monitoring the cellular
electrical activity, we are studying embryonic origins and early
development of functional organization/architecture in the embryonic
chick and rat central nervous system focusing on the formation
of neural networks, organization of nuclei and spontaneous activity.
Furthermore, we are making functional maps of the development
on the spatiotemporal organization of neuronal function of embryonic
central nervous system.
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Project 2：In Vivo Optical
Imaging of the Brainstem/Spinal Cord Function |
(5) Functional mapping of the
cardiovascular/respiratory center
(6) Functional
mapping of the spinal cord and its developmental change
Using the intrinsic optical
imaging technique together with the fluorescent voltage-sensitive
dye recording, we are studying the functional architectures of
the rat brainstem and spinal cord.
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Project 3：Clinical Applications
of Optical Imaging Methods |
(7) Intraoperative Intrinsic
Optical Imaging of Neuronal Activity during Neurosurgery/Spinal
Cord Surgery
Using the
intrinsic optical imaging technique, we are trying to detect
the optical signals from the human cortex/spinal cord during
neurosurgical operations.
(Collaboration with
Department of Neurosurgery/Orthopaedic Surgery)
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Project 4：Development of
Optical Recording Methods |
(8) Development
of optical methods for monitoring electrical activities of cells
a) the search for new voltage-sensitive
dyes with larger optical signals.
(Collaboration
with Hayashibara Bioscience Institute/Kanko Shikiso kenkyu-sho)
b) the increase the number of photodetectors in the
recording system, having higher spatio-temporal resolution and
ability of continuous recording.
c) the improvement
of the computer software for data analysis.
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Project 5：Others |
(9) Optical imaging of rat
barrel responses
Using
the intrinsic optical imaging technique together with the fluorescent
voltage-sensitive dye recording, we are studying the developmental
changes in rat barrel responses induced by whisker stimulation.
(10) Optical recording of neural
activity in the hippocampal slices
Using optical monitoring neuronal activity, we are
studying early and late LTP in the hippocampal slices.
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