Figure 1.

Translational neurology: ataxia. SCA mouse observations and human SCA findings are incorporated into the computational framework SCA modeling suite. The models help interpret experimental and clinical findings. The models also predict interactions between proteins and emergent properties that can be borne out in novel mouse experiments. Results from the laboratory and clinical observations can be used to validate, disprove, or tweak the computational models. Findings from mouse experiments can also ultimately be translated to human studies, leading to clinical trials to test therapeutics. The final step in translational neurology with the example of ataxia is implementation of the iterative findings in patient care. The solid square bracket highlights the components addressed directly by computational systems neurobiology (Brown et al., 2012; Brown and Loew, 2012).