de Carvalho L A
COPPE, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Int J Biomed Comput. 1994 May;35(4):267-96.
This work proposes a mathematical model for the thalamic gateway to the cortex. In this model, the ionic currents considered and the structural details are in accordance with the biomedical experimental data. To validate the model, three series of simulations were performed in different levels of complexity. First, some experiments show that the model captures the electrophysiological properties of a single thalamic cell, that is, the relay and burst modes of operation. Second, a complete neural network representing the thalamic gateway to the cortex is assembled and the influences of the cortical projections over the thalamus are analysed. Some interesting results about how the cortex opens and closes the thalamic gate, and the relation of this control policy with the phenomenon of attention, are shown. Finally, a third set of simulations establishes some mechanisms of interaction between neighboring thalamic regions, especially a form of somatosensory competition. The paper also hints at possible theoretical explanations for clinical facts like counterirritation, acupuncture analgesia and variations in the sensibility of somatosensory perception. The model seems to be an interesting and new way of understanding the thalamocortical interactions.
这项工作提出了一个关于丘脑通向皮层的网关的数学模型。在这个模型中，所考虑的离子电流和结构细节与生物医学实验数据一致。为了验证该模型，在不同复杂程度下进行了三组模拟。首先，一些实验表明该模型捕捉到了单个丘脑细胞的电生理特性，即中继和爆发模式的运作。其次，组装了一个代表丘脑通向皮层的网关的完整神经网络，并分析了皮层投射对丘脑的影响。展示了一些关于皮层如何打开和关闭丘脑之门的有趣结果，以及这种控制策略与注意力现象的关系。最后，第三组模拟建立了相邻丘脑区域之间的一些相互作用机制，特别是一种体感竞争形式。该论文还暗示了对诸如对抗刺激、针刺镇痛和体感感知敏感性变化等临床事实的可能理论解释。该模型似乎是理解丘脑皮质相互作用的一种有趣的新方式。
