Description

The ability to execute purposeful movements relies on sensory information coming from the body. This sensory information tells us where are limbs are in relation to the rest of our body (posture sense), how fast they are moving (kinesthetic sense), how forcefully we are making a contraction (muscular sense) and if we are being contacted by external objects, changes in temperature, pain, etc (somatic sense). Without these senses, we could not make well controlled movements or navigate in our environment safely. Because of the importance of these sensory inputs, the nervous system has designed a highly regulated system to control the amount and quality of sensory inflow entering into both the spinal cord and brain. We wish to re-investigate how sensory pathways from our body controls the inflow of sensory inputs in adults with and without neurological injury. Specifically, we want to test if the long-lasting suppression of sensory inflow by other sensory nerves is regulated by GABA-B receptors. We will test this by giving participants the GABA-B receptor agonist baclofen. Nerve stimulation and muscle responses will be used to understand how sensory transmission is being controlled in the spinal cord and the GABA-B receptors involvement. Results from these studies will provide important fundamental information about how normal sensory inflow is controlled so that we can better understand how it may be altered after injury to the brain and spinal cord. This information will open new avenues of study into the treatment of sensory-related dysfunction such as spasticity and motor incoordination that occurs after central nervous system injury or disease.