Hippocampal Plasticity Induced by Patterned Stimulation

这项建议中描述的工作的目标是确定压力如何对学习和记忆产生负面影响。众所周知，一种名为海马体的大脑结构对许多形式的学习都是必要的。此外，海马体有大量的受体，可以检测血液中与压力相关的激素的存在。这种应激激素的存在对海马体的正常功能有什么影响？这个问题将用大鼠的电生理学和行为学技术来回答。特别是，工作将集中于确定压力相关激素对预激爆发增强的影响，预激爆发增强是由阈值电刺激诱导的海马区连接强度的一种非常持久的增加。启动突发式增强可能代表了大脑通常用来制造记忆的一种机制。

The goal of the work described in this proposal is to determine how stress negatively influences learning and memory. It is known that a brain structure called the hippocampus is necessary for many forms of learning. In addition, the hippocampus has a high number of receptors which detect the presence of stress related hormones in the blood. What does the presence of such stress hormones do to the normal function of the hippocampus? This question will be answered using electrophysiological and behavioral techniques in rats. In particular, work will focus on determining the influence of stress related hormones on primed burst potentiation, a very long lasting increase in the strength of connections in the hippocampus which is induced by threshold electrical stimulation. Primed burst potentiation may represent a mechanism which is normally used by the brain to make memories.