1
|
Burlando B, Mucci V, Browne CJ, Losacco S, Indovina I, Marinelli L, Blanchini F, Giordano G. Mal de Debarquement Syndrome explained by a vestibulo-cerebellar oscillator. Math Med Biol 2023; 40:96-110. [PMID: 36469499 DOI: 10.1093/imammb/dqac016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS) is a puzzling central vestibular disorder characterized by a long-lasting perception of oscillatory postural instability that may occur after sea travels or flights. We have postulated that MdDS originates from the post-disembarking persistence of an adaptive internal oscillator consisting of a loop system, involving the right and left vestibular nuclei, and the Purkinje cells of the right and left flocculonodular cerebellar cortex, connected by GABAergic and glutamatergic fibers. We have formulated here a mathematical model of the vestibulo-cerebellar loop system and carried out a computational analysis based on a set of differential equations describing the interactions among the loop elements and containing Hill functions that model input-output firing rates relationships among neurons. The analysis indicates that the system acquires a spontaneous and permanent oscillatory behavior for a decrease of threshold and an increase of sensitivity in neuronal input-output responses. These results suggest a role for synaptic plasticity in MdDS pathophysiology, thus reinforcing our previous hypothesis that MdDS may be the result of excessive synaptic plasticity acting on the vestibulo-cerebellar network during its entraining to an oscillatory environment. Hence, our study points to neuroendocrine pathways that lead to increased synaptic response as possible new therapeutic targets for the clinical treatment of the disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Burlando
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Viviana Mucci
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith NSW 2560, Australia
| | - Cherylea J Browne
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith NSW 2560, Australia
- Translational Neuroscience Facility, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Serena Losacco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Iole Indovina
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
- Neuromotor Physiology Lab, IRCCS Foundation Santa Lucia, via Ardeatina 354, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Lucio Marinelli
- DINOGMI University of Genova, Largo Daneo 3, 16132, Genova, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Division of Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroscience, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Franco Blanchini
- Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 208, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Giulia Giordano
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo (TN), Italy
| |
Collapse
|