the-aps.org>meetings>eb

Spinal Interneurons:  Underappreciated Players in Autonomic and Respiratory Regulation?
Cosponsored by The Physiological Society

Spinal interneurons are critical for processing sensory information in the dorsal horn and significantly influence the output of somatic motor neurons in the ventral horn.  Nevertheless, we know relatively little about the involvement of interneurons in spinal circuits that regulate autonomic and respiratory function.  This gap in our knowledge is beginning to be actively addressed by physiological, pharmacological, electrophysiological and anatomical studies done by laboratories around the world.  This symposium will highlight new work that focuses on the diversity of spinal interneurons and the roles that these cells may play in regulating spinal outflow to autonomic and respiratory targets. The topic is timely because interneurons may be an important consideration in spinal cord injury and repair and in other forms of nerve-related autonomic dysfunction.