CURRENT ACTIVITIES IN DEPARTMENT OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2003)
Andrzej Wróbel
The roots
of neuroscience research at the Nencki Institute date
back to 1911 when Edward Flatau founded a small laboratory of neurobiology
devoted to histopathology of the nervous system. This laboratory was first
affiliated with Warsaw Scientific Society and with the foundation of the
Institute in 1918, formed one of its three first departments. In 1946, when the
Nencki Institute was reincarnated after the war,
Jerzy Konorski organized the Department of Neurophysiology with the aim to
study the mechanisms of integrated activity of the brain (see Chapter 4 of this
publication). Under his direction, the Department became internationally known
and was visited by many scientists from abroad eager to learn the contemporary
trends in behavioral neurophysiology. After the regrettable death of Prof.
Konorski in 1973, H. Enger Rosvold and Bogusław Żernicki brought
together the tributes of his many pupils and scientific friends in two special
issues of Acta Neurobiologiae
Experimentalis, the Journal which he edited for so many years
("Memorial in Honor of Jerzy Konorski"; ANE, 1975; vol. 35, issues 5 and 6). In the Preface they wrote:
"almost any topic in the neurosciences would be within his area of
interest" and indeed, most of the research lines in the Department were
started by his bright, foreseeing ideas. The major current topics still
encompass anatomical/functional connectivity, the
foundations of behavior and plasticity of the nervous system (the term
introduced to neuroscience by Jerzy Konorski in
1948), including its developmental, adult and recovery aspects. These research
topics are based on the long tradition of behavioral experiments and the
methods incorporated into the Department by Professor Konorski.
The methods he foresaw to be important have now been developed due to
contemporary technical progress (i.e. neurochemical,
histological, electrophysiological, neuroinformatic
and modeling methods).
The modern
trends in neurophysiology have been carefully and successfully continued by
Prof. Bogusław Żernicki, the pupil and great
follower of Professor J. Konorski, who led the Department from 1973 to 2001
(see Chapter 5 of this publication). Since 1959, when the Nencki Institute
received the rights for promoting scientific degrees, 110 doctoral and 54
habilitation theses in the field of neurophysiology were defended in the
Institute. Nineteen professorships in neuroscience were also recommended by the
Scientific Council of the Institute and signed by the President of Poland. At
present, the Department consists of twelve laboratories that focus on various
aspects of brain function starting from its molecular and cellular bases up to
the integrative mechanisms of neuronal networks and animal and human behavior
(http://www.nencki.gov.pl/groups.htm).
Sensory
systems and perception are studied on five models
including the auditory system of the dog (with research focused on anatomical
connectivity and functional role of the cortical areas); the visual system of
the cat and the somatosensory system of the rat (devoted to basic functional physiology
as well as attentional mechanisms underlying perception); the gustatory system
of the cat (with analysis of early sensory deprivation), and finally, the human
visual system (devoted to analysis of late components of event-related
potentials). For more details on these research lines headed by Hanna Kosmal,
Andrzej Wróbel and Andrzej Michalski look in Chapter 7 of this
publication.
Systems of motor
control are investigated in different aspects on the rat's model including
mechanisms of neural control of locomotion, recovery of motor functions after
central and peripheral injuries in young and adult animals, involvement of neurotrophins and cell adhesion molecules
in neurodegeneration, strategies for stimulation of endogenous pools of
regenerative proteins and plasticity processes in the neuromuscular
system. (Heads of the laboratories: Urszula
Sławińska and Julita Czarkowska-Bauch).
Emotion and
memory are studied with the use of different behavioral
paradigms in rats and dogs. The investigations on mechanisms of memory are
devoted to strategies of learning, behavioral mechanisms of defensive and
alimentary conditioning, mechanisms of spatial, recognition and emotional
memory, as well as their neuronal substrates. Neurophysiological and
neurochemical research on the emotional system focuses on mechanisms of
aggression, fear and social behavior as well as limbic-motor interactions. On
the molecular and cellular levels, studies concern the functional aspects of
basal forebrain cholinergic system in the adult and aging brain and
beta-amyloid induced toxicity in Alzheimer Disease. (Heads of the laboratories:
Tomasz Werka, Stefan Kasicki, Andrzej Michalski and Danek Elbaum).
Neuropsychological
approach is devoted to investigations on hemispheric asymmetry in cognitive and
emotional functions; sex-related differences in functional brain organization;
as well as mechanisms of speech, left-handedness and dyslexia. Close
cooperation with human clinics allow for studies on perceptual, memory and
attention deficits after brain damage in epileptic and Parkinsonian patients,
subjects with cochlear implants and children with speech disorders. The mutual
projects undertaken with clinical partners are important for setting our research
in applied science. (Heads of the laboratories: Anna Grabowska, Elżbieta
Szeląg and Remigiusz Tarnecki).
Finally the
laboratory of ethology headed by Ewa J. Godzinska is devoted to
ethopharmacological and sociobiological investigations on ants.
Despite
the wide area of studied subjects, two common topics integrate research in the
Department: intrinsic mechanisms of behavioral neurophysiology and plasticity
of the nervous system. The traditional Wednesday seminars allow for the
exchange of new ideas and hot discoveries between the research groups. These seminars
also give the opportunity to discuss the lectures delivered by eminent visitors
from all over the world on the occasion of their visits in the Department. The
thematic seminars on ethology (http://www.nencki.gov.pl/ptetol/default.asp),
neuroinformatics
(http://www.nencki.gov.pl/labs/vslab/vislab.html) and psychophysiology as well
as regular Journal Clubs are meant to keep track of the modern trends in
neuroscience and are attended by interested scientists from different
laboratories and cooperating academic institutions. In order to share the
expensive facilities for newly implemented techniques, the specialized
departmental laboratories are organized for use of all the groups. Already at work
are histology, in vitro slice
electrophysiology and HPLC laboratories. Modern behavioral and neuroinformatic
setups equipped with digital recording and analyzing facilities are currently
under organization.
Dynamic
cooperations with leading institutions abroad allow for the integration of new
techniques, enriching our experimental capabilities. Our research workers are
considered important partners in the international cooperation that is attested
by many international grants donated to them by EU, German-Polish governmental
cooperation, McDonnell, Howard-Hughes and Fulbright Foundations as well as many
worldwide institutional and informal agreements. In 2003, the Nencki Institute has received the status of the EU Center
of Excellence for realization of the program "Bringing Research Advances
in Neurobiology to Society” (BRAINS). The vital part of this program is
being realized within the Department.
Members of
the Department led the foundation of the Polish Neuroscience Society, and
Polish Ethological Society. They have been successfully working in many
domestic (e.g. Committees for Neurobiology and Biology of the Polish Academy of
Sciences) and international scientific organizations (IBRO, FENS, EBBS, OECD
Science Forum and Dana Alliance for the Brain). During last thirty years five
international conferences on "Brain and behavior" have been organized
by the Department staff. The neurophysiologists are also very active in the
popularization of the neuroscience in Poland by lecturing during annually
organized events such as "Brain Week" and "Science
Festival". During the last decade, two popular textbooks were written by
the departmental members for Polish students taking courses of neuroscience:
"The plasticity of the brain" (ed. M. Kossut) and "Brain and Behavior"
(ed. T. Górska, A. Grabowska
and J. Zagrodzka). Many issues of journals
popularizing the scientific advances in Poland have also been written and
edited by neurophysiologists from the Nencki Institute. Last but not least,
with the integrated editorial effort of the staff, the Department continues to
publish the ICI indexed international journal "Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis"
(http://www.nencki.gov.pl/AN.htm) that was founded in 1928 and has established
its reputation under the editorial supervision of Jerzy Konorski and
Bogusław Żernicki.