biology

Translational neuroscience

Translational neuroscience is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Translational neuroscience rather than just read about it. In short: Translational neuroscience is the field of study which applies neuroscience research to translate or develop into clinical applications and novel therapies for nervous system disorders. The field encompasses areas such as deep brain stimulation, brain machine interfaces, neurorehabilitation and the development of devices for the sensory nervous system such as the use of auditory implants, retinal implants, and elect…

Key takeaways

Translational neuroscience belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Translational neuroscience to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Translational neuroscience from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Translational neuroscience is the field of study which applies neuroscience research to translate or develop into clinical applications and novel therapies for nervous system disorders. The field encompasses areas such as deep brain stimulation, brain machine interfaces, neurorehabilitation and the development of devices for the sensory nervous system such as the use of auditory implants, retinal implants, and electronic skins.

Classification Translational neuroscience research is categorized into stages of research, which are classified using a five tier system (T0-T4), beginning with basic science research and ending with the public health applications of basic scientific discoveries. While once considered a linear progression from basic science to public health application, translational research, and translational neuroscience in particular, is now regarded as a cyclic, where public health needs inform basic science research, which then works to discover the mechanisms of public health issues and works towards clinical and public health implementation. The stages of translational neuroscience research are as follows:

T0: Basic science research T1: Preclinical research T2: Clinical research or Clinical neuroscience T3: Clinical implementation T4: Public health

Methods

Electrophysiology Electrophysiology is used within translational neuroscience as a means of studying the electric properties of neurons in animal models as well as to investigate the properties of human neurological dysfunction. Techniques used in animal models, such as patch-clamp recordings, have been used to investigate how neurons respond to pharmacological agents. Electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) are both used to measure electrical activity in the human brain, and can be used in clinical settings to localize the source of neurological dysfunction in conditions such as epilepsy, and can also be used in a research setting to investigate the differences in electrical activity in the brain between normal and neurologically dysfunctional individuals.

Neuroimaging

Neuroimaging comprises a variety of techniques used to observe the activity or the structures of, or within, the nervous system. Positron emission tomography (PET) has been used in animal models, such as non-human primate and rodent, to identify and target molecular mechanisms of neurological disease, and to study the neurological impact of pharmacological drug addiction. Similarly, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used to investigate the neurological mechanisms of pharmacological drug addiction, the neurological mechanisms of mood and anxiety disorders in elderly populations, and the neurological mechanisms of disorders such as schizophrenia.

Gene therapy Gene therapy is the delivery of nucleic acid as a treatment for a disorder. In translational neuroscience, gene therapy is the delivery of nucleic acid as a treatment for a neurological disorder. Gene therapy has been proven effective at treating a variety of disorders, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), in rodent and non-human primate models, and in humans, via the application of neurotrophic factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and via the application of enzymes such as glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), which commonly use adeno-associated viruses (AAV) as a vector.

Stem cells Stem cells, particularly induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), are utilized in translational neuroscience research as not only a treatment for nervous system disorders, but also as the source for models of neural dysfunction. For example, due to the central nervous system's limited regenerative abilities, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), a type of pluripotent stem cell, has been used as a replacement for damaged neurons, a novel approach that involves the surgical transplantation of fetal stem cells

Applications

Neurodevelopmental disorders Neurodevelopmental disorders are characterized as disorders where the development of the nervous system was disrupted, and encompasses disorders such as learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), epilepsy, and certain neuromuscular disorders. Translational neuroscience research involves efforts to uncover the molecular mechanisms for these disorders and work towards cures in patient populations. Additionally, translational neuroscience research has focused on elucidating the cause of neurodevelopmental disorders, whether it be genetic, environmental, or a combination of both, as well as tactics for prevention, if possible.

Neurodegenerative disorders Neurodegenerative disorders are a result of neuronal loss of function over time which lead to cell death. Examples of neurodegenerative disorders include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. The focus of translational neuroscience research is to investigate the molecular mechanisms for these disorders, and to investigate the mechanisms of drug delivery to treat these disorders, including an investigation into the impact of the blood-brain barrier on drug delivery, and the role of the body's immune system in neurodegenerative disorders.

See also Translational medicine Knowledge transfer

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Translational neuroscience

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Translational neuroscience claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Translational neuroscience before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Translational neuroscience ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Translational neuroscience

In research: Translational neuroscience appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Translational neuroscience in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Translational neuroscience is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Clinical neuroscience, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Translational neuroscience outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Translational neuroscience in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Translational neuroscience means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Translational neuroscience out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Translational neuroscience in simple terms?

Why does Translational neuroscience matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Translational neuroscience?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Translational neuroscience.