In humans and in animals, normal aging is often associated with a marked deterioration in both the quantity and the quality of motor activity. In addition to postural and locomotor deficits, alterations in orolingual and pharyngeal motor function are also associated with human aging. Like locomotor deficits, these disturbances have been found to contribute to an increased risk of death in the elderly. The fact that orolingual motor deficits are also prevalent in Parkinson's disease suggests that alterations in the basal ganglia may play a role in their expression. Although there is considerable evidence linking the basal ganglia to locomotor function, a role for these nuclei in orolingual motor function remains to be examined in animal models of normal aging. The purpose of this grant is to measure orolingual motor function in young, middle-aged and aged animals and to determine relationships between age, behavioral performance and measures of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) function. In these studies, thirsty rats will be trained to lick water from an isometric force-sensing disc while biophysical and temporal characteristics of tongue movements are measured. A sensorimotor challenge will require rats to extend their tongues increasing distances in order to contact the force-sensing disc. Nigrostriatal DA function will be measured in freely moving animals using intracerebral microdialysis. The effects of antiparkinson drugs will be compared to glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). These studies should yield novel and valuable information regarding relationships between aging, orolingual motor function and nigrostriatal DA integrity.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01AG023549-01
Application #
6755475
Study Section
Motor Function, Speech and Rehabilitation Study Section (MFSR)
Program Officer
Finkelstein, Judith A
Project Start
2004-08-01
Project End
2009-07-31
Budget Start
2004-08-01
Budget End
2005-07-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$121,952
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Kansas
Department
Physiology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
016060860
City
Kansas City
State
KS
Country
United States
Zip Code
66160
Nishimune, Hiroshi; Stanford, John A; Mori, Yasuo (2014) Role of exercise in maintaining the integrity of the neuromuscular junction. Muscle Nerve 49:315-24
Smittkamp, Susan E; Morris, Jill K; Bomhoff, Gregory L et al. (2014) SOD1-G93A mice exhibit muscle-fiber-type-specific decreases in glucose uptake in the absence of whole-body changes in metabolism. Neurodegener Dis 13:29-37
Smittkamp, Susan; Spalding, Heather; Zhang, Hongyu et al. (2014) Differential effects of amphetamine and GBR-12909 on orolingual motor function in young vs aged F344/BN rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 231:4695-701
Smittkamp, Susan E; Spalding, Heather N; Brown, Jordan W et al. (2014) Relationships between tongue motility, grip force, and survival in SOD1-G93A rats. Physiol Behav 125:17-20
Nishimune, Hiroshi; Numata, Tomohiro; Chen, Jie et al. (2012) Active zone protein Bassoon co-localizes with presynaptic calcium channel, modifies channel function, and recovers from aging related loss by exercise. PLoS One 7:e38029
Nuckolls, Andrea L; Worley, Cole; Leto, Christopher et al. (2012) Tongue force and tongue motility are differently affected by unilateral vs bilateral nigrostriatal dopamine depletion in rats. Behav Brain Res 234:343-8
Bethel-Brown, Crystal S; Morris, Jill K; Stanford, John A (2011) Young and middle-aged rats exhibit isometric forelimb force control deficits in a model of early-stage Parkinson's disease. Behav Brain Res 225:97-103
Morris, Jill K; Bomhoff, Gregory L; Stanford, John A et al. (2010) Neurodegeneration in an animal model of Parkinson's disease is exacerbated by a high-fat diet. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 299:R1082-90
Gupte, Anisha A; Morris, Jill K; Zhang, Hongyu et al. (2010) Age-related changes in HSP25 expression in basal ganglia and cortex of F344/BN rats. Neurosci Lett 472:90-3
Smittkamp, Susan E; Spalding, Heather N; Brown, Jordan W et al. (2010) Measures of bulbar and spinal motor function, muscle innervation, and mitochondrial function in ALS rats. Behav Brain Res 211:48-57

Showing the most recent 10 out of 18 publications