Mechanisms of Interactions among Memory Systems of the Mammalian Brain

哺乳动物大脑记忆系统之间相互作用的机制

• 批准号: 0849800
• 负责人: Paul Colombo
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: Tulane University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-05-01 至 2013-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0849800&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Mechanisms; Interactions; among; Memory; Systems

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.

专门处理和储存不同类型记忆的大脑区域受损的报告表明，在某些情况下，神经系统可能会在记忆储存或回忆过程中相互合作，而在其他情况下，它们可能会相互竞争。到目前为止，专门用于记忆的大脑系统之间的相互作用机制尚未在哺乳动物大脑中进行测试，因为它的功能正常。 在本研究中，啮齿动物的大脑区域之间的相互作用进行了测试后，局部管理的病毒工程，以改变长期记忆所需的基因表达，而不影响正常的信息处理或短期记忆。 因此，目前的实验构成了对完整大脑中专门负责记忆的大脑区域之间相互作用的第一个经验性测试。 这些实验的结果将阐明神经元的机制和条件，决定了不同的大脑区域在记忆形成和巩固过程中相互作用的程度。因此，这些实验有可能改变我们对哺乳动物大脑中记忆是如何存储的以及存储在哪里的理解。这项研究的主要教育目标是招募来自传统上在神经科学中代表性不足的群体的本科生参加杜兰大学夏季的研究培训实习。 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研究。