小脳失調モデル動物

Cerebellar ataxic mutant animals.

はじめに

　運動失調とは，錐体路障害などがみられないにもかかわらず，随意運動障害がみられるものをさしている。運動失調症は，平衡感覚の異常ないし障害によるものと，運動時に協調運動が行なえないものに大別される。

　小脳性運動失調は，協調運動の障害による運動失調の一つに含まれる。

Recently, many neuropathological mutant animals were reported. According to the recent develop-ment of the techniques in electrophysiology, neurochemistry and immunohistochemistry, much has been known about the normal development of the cerebellum. Since cerebellum is considered to play an important role in the motor coordination, mutation at the cerebellum causes typical cerebellar symptoms. I present in this chapter the data on the cerebellar mutant animals, such as staggerer mutant mice, Gunn rat, Wriggle Mouse Sagami and hyperspiny Purkinje cell mutant mice.