Mechanisms of Interactions among Memory Systems of the Mammalian Brain

有关大脑专门负责处理和存储不同类型记忆的区域受损的报告表明，在某些情况下，神经系统可能会协同作用，而在另一些情况下，它们可能会在记忆存储或回忆过程中竞争性地相互作用。到目前为止，专门负责记忆的大脑系统之间的相互作用机制还没有在哺乳动物的大脑中进行测试，因为它的功能正常。在本研究中，在局部注射病毒后，对啮齿动物大脑区域之间的相互作用进行了测试，这些病毒被设计成在不影响正常信息处理或短期记忆的情况下改变长期记忆所需基因的表达。因此，目前的实验首次对完整大脑中专门负责记忆的大脑区域之间的相互作用进行了经验性测试。这些实验的结果将阐明神经机制和条件，这些机制和条件决定了记忆形成和巩固过程中不同大脑区域相互作用的程度。因此，这些实验有可能改变我们对记忆是如何以及在哪里存储在哺乳动物大脑中的理解。这项研究的一个主要教育目标是从神经科学领域传统上代表性较低的群体中招募本科生，参加杜兰大学夏季几个月的研究培训实习。决定继续接受神经科学研究培训的学生可以在PI和同事监督的实验室进行进一步的课程学分学习。

Reports of damage to regions of the brain specialized for processing and storage of distinct types of memory suggest that in some cases neural systems may interact cooperatively and in other cases they may interact competitively during memory storage or recall. To date, the mechanisms of interactions among brain systems specialized for memory have not been tested in the mammalian brain as it functions normally. In the present study, interactions among brain regions of the rodent are tested following local administration of viruses engineered to alter expression of genes required for long-term memory without influencing normal information processing or short-term memory. Thus the current experiments constitute the first empirical tests of interactions among brain regions specialized for memory in the intact brain. The results of these experiments will elucidate neuronal mechanisms and conditions that determine the extent to which distinct brain regions interact during memory formation and consolidation. As such, these experiments have the potential to transform our understanding of how and where memory is stored in the mammalian brain. A primary educational goal of this study is to recruit undergraduate students from groups traditionally underrepresented in the neurosciences to participate in research training internships during the summer months at Tulane University. Students who decide to continue to train in neuroscience research can conduct further studies for course credit in laboratories supervised by the PI and colleagues.