Exploration Related Synaptic Changes in Rat Dentate Gyrus

爱德华绿色医生正在研究复杂的电生理学 大脑结构海马体， 参与学习和记忆。 他的工作应该提供 关于信息性质的重要信息 处理发生在齿状回，一个特殊的 海马体区域，在探索行为期间。 此外，这项工作的目的是评估功能 海马体的改变与行为 探索 拟议的研究将利用 场电位和单个场电位的电生理记录 齿状回颗粒细胞的单位反应 移动的老鼠 工作的具体目标包括： 评价瞬时变化之间的相互作用 与行为状态相关的突触传递， 突触效能的中度持续性变化， 与探索性行为相关; B）对 肾上腺激素在自然发生的，突触 伴随探索性的齿状回的功效变化 行为; c）确定蓝斑是否是 环境调节改变所必需的， 颗粒细胞兴奋性; d）评估是否天然地- 发生突触效能和电- 诱发的长时程增强具有共同的突触机制; 和e）在特定时间内颗粒细胞单位活性的比较， 行为在家庭环境中的单位活动期间， 探索后的相同行为。 这些调查结果 研究将为我们提供详细的信息， 大脑的特定区域处理信息，并保留 用于存储的信息。

Dr. Edward Green is studying the intricate electrophysiology of a brain structure, the hippocampus, which is known to be involved in learning and memory. His work should provide important information regarding the nature of the information processing which takes place in the dentate gyrus, a special region of the hippocampus, during exploratory behavior. Furthermore, this work is designed to evaluate functional alterations in the hippocampus associated with behavioral exploration. The proposed studies will utilize electrophysiological recordings of field potentials and single unit responses of granule cells in the dentate gyrus of freely moving rats. The specific goals of the work include: a) an evaluation of the interaction between the transient alterations in synaptic transmission related to behavioral state, and moderately persistent changes in synaptic efficacy that are associated with exploratory behavior; b) an assessment of the role of adrenal hormones in naturally occurring, synaptic efficacy changes in the dentate gyrus that accompany exploratory behavior; c) a determination of whether the locus coeruleus is necessary for producing environmentally-modulated alterations in granule cell excitability; d) an evaluation of whether naturally- occurring alterations in synaptic efficacy and electrically - induced long-term potentiation share a common synaptic mechanism; and e) a comparison of granule cell unit activity during specific behaviors in the home environment to unit activity during the same behaviors following exploration. Findings from these studies will provide us with detailed information about how a specific area of the brain processes information and retains that information for the purpose of memory storage.