A system for studying facial nerve function in rats through simultaneous bilateral monitoring of eyelid and whisker movements
| Autor: | David J. Ahlgren, H. Philip Zeigler, James T. Heaton, Jeffrey M. Kowaleski, Tessa A. Hadlock, R. Bermejo |
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| Rok vydání: | 2008 |
| Předmět: |
Time Factors
animal structures Eye Movements genetic structures Movement Article Functional Laterality Physical Stimulation Cornea Psychophysics medicine Animals Rats Wistar Denervation Blinking General Neuroscience Whisking in animals Eyelids Eye movement Anatomy medicine.disease Facial nerve eye diseases Rats Facial Nerve medicine.anatomical_structure Synkinesis Vibrissae Female sense organs Eyelid Psychology Reinnervation |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 171:197-206 |
| ISSN: | 0165-0270 |
| Popis: | The occurrence of inappropriate co-contraction of facially innervated muscles in humans (synkinesis) is a common sequela of facial nerve injury and recovery. We have developed a system for studying facial nerve function and synkinesis in restrained rats using non-contact opto-electronic techniques that enable simultaneous bilateral monitoring of eyelid and whisker movements. Whisking is monitored in high spatio-temporal resolution using laser micrometers, and eyelid movements are detected using infrared diode and phototransistor pairs that respond to the increased reflection when the eyelids cover the cornea. To validate the system, eight rats were tested with multiple five-minute sessions that included corneal air puffs to elicit blink and scented air flows to elicit robust whisking. Four rats then received unilateral facial nerve section and were tested at weeks 3–6. Whisking and eye blink behavior occurred both spontaneously and under stimulus control, with no detectable difference from published whisking data. Proximal facial nerve section caused an immediate ipsilateral loss of whisking and eye blink response, but some ocular closures emerged due to retractor bulbi muscle function. The independence observed between whisker and eyelid control indicates that this system may provide a powerful tool for identifying abnormal co-activation of facial zones resulting from aberrant axonal regeneration. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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