研究方向
神經生理暨睡眠醫學研究室
介紹
Research interests: Sleep Medicine, Neurological Diseases (Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease), Stress, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Fear Memory and sleep disturbances, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine
My research focuses on the underlying mechanisms in sleep disruptions induced by stress, neurological diseases (e.g., epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease) and psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. We are also interested in the effects of acupuncture and herbal medicines on the treatment of insomnia. Sleep-wake activities are recorded and analyzed by the electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), gross movements and cortical temperature. Pharmacological methods by administration agonists and/or antagonists into lateral ventricle or directly into the specific brain targets through an implanted guide cannula are employed to elucidate the neural mechanisms. Our results demonstrated that epilepsy occurred at different zeitgeber time points may alter sleep homeostasis either by homeostatic factors or circadian rhythm, or both. Neuroendocrine, such as interleukin-1, corticotropin-releasing hormone and hypocretin, play important roles in these epilepsy-induced sleep disruptions. This result provides a new direction in developing novel drugs for epilepsy-induced sleep disruptions. One of our studies indicate that stress induces the enhanced release of hypocretin in the median raphe nucleus (MRN), activates the indirect GABAergic pathway in the MRN, and subsequently increases the power of theta oscillations, an index of anxiety levels. Management of the excitability of MRN by hypocretin antagonist or the electrical stimulation blocks theta oscillations and anxiety behavior. This observation further directs the new treatments for anxiety. Our studies in acupuncture demonstrate that electroacupuncture (EA) of Anmian acupoints enhances sleep by activation of vagus nerves and opioid receptors in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). Low frequency EA-induced sleep enhancement is mediated by mu-opioid receptors, while high-frequency EA’s effect on sleep is mediated by kappa-opioid receptors. This result reveals the underlying mechanisms for acupuncture in the treatment of insomnia. However, one of our recent studies indicates that high-frequency EA of Feng-Chi acupoints exacerbates pilocarpine-induced epilepsy and sleep disturbances, suggesting that the indication described in ancient Chinese literatures needs to be re-examined by scientific methodology. Our goal is to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of sleep disturbances and to provide solutions for insomnia and sleep disturbances.
Current NSTC grants:
1. 探討經由腺苷平衡調節食慾素運用於創傷後壓力症候群之神經機制 (113-2314-B-002-195-MY3; 2024.08.01~2027.07.31)
2. 跨領域解開大腦學習之謎–以小胖威利症為起點 (2/3) (112-2423-H-002-012-; 2023.08.01~2024.07.31)
3. 探討以新型壓力模式造成的創傷後症候群小鼠中之可能神經迴路機制，並評估新合成之 ENT1 抑制劑對於治療創傷後症候群之療效(112-2313-B-002-032-; 2023.08.01~2024.08.31)
4. 跨領域解開大腦學習之謎–以小胖威利症為起點(1/3)(111-2423-H-002-009-; 2022.08.01~2023.11.30)
5. 天麻萃取物經修飾後對阿茲海默症的改善療效及作用機制(111-2320-B-002-040-; 2022.08.01~2023.07.31)
6. 具能量擷取、電源管理及低功耗無線通訊之腦波信號監控晶片設計(109-2221-E-002-138-MY2; 2020.08.01~2023.02.28)
Current lab members:
Ph.D. students: 黃淑慧、Rodolfo Medrano
Master students: 徐以安、陳彥羽、林子齊、蔡宗樺
Undergraduate students: 張雅涵
Lab Technicians: 李東晏、林美岑