Hippocampal Plasticity Induced by Patterned Stimulation

这项工作的目标是确定压力是如何对学习和记忆产生负面影响的。众所周知，一种叫做海马体的大脑结构对于许多形式的学习都是必要的。此外，海马体中有大量的受体，可以检测血液中与压力相关的激素的存在。这些应激激素的存在对海马体的正常功能有什么影响？这个问题将在大鼠的电生理和行为技术中得到回答。特别是，工作将集中在确定压力相关激素对启动爆发增强的影响，这是一种由阈值电刺激引起的海马体中连接强度的非常持久的增加。启动脉冲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.