SPATIAL MEMORY AND HIPPOCAMPAL ANATOMY: NATURAL PATTERN

空间记忆和海马解剖：自然模式

• 批准号: 3429196
• 负责人: LUCIA F JACOBS
• 金额: $ 5.78万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1990
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1990-09-15 至 1993-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3429196
• 关键词: animal ecology; behavior test; brain imaging /visualization /scanning; brain mapping; ethology; experience; gender difference; hippocampus; memory; natural selections; neurobiology; space perception; species difference; vole

The organization and function of the brain are of profound importance to the health sciences. One of the best studied brain structures is the hippocampus, and yet many questions remain about its role in cognitive processing. The present application proposes to study this question with a new approach. First, we will quantify natural variation in the learning ability of wild rodents in tasks known to require the hippocampus (spatial learning). Second, we will qualify anatomical measures that are correlated with learning ability in laboratory mice: the relative volume of different hippocampal components. Third, we will measure the same behaviors and the same hippocampal components in the lab-reared offspring of these wild rodents, so that we may estimate the impact of experience on learning and hippocampal proportions. Finally, our subjects will be two closely-related rodent species whose spatial behavior diverges in a remarkable manner: in one species, males learn faster than females, in the other there is no sex difference. The experimental groups (two sexes from each of two species, reared under each of two conditions) will first be tested on a series of spatial learning paradigms. We predict that differences between groups will be correlated to natural differences ranging behavior and experimental manipulations of spatial experience. We will then measure the volume of hippocampus in each subject; particularly those components known to vary with spatial performance. To make these measurements, sectioned brain tissue will be stained using the Timm's sulphide-silver method for visualization of hippocampal components. We will then use an image-processing workstation to measure and calculate ratios of "within" hippocampus measure (mossy fiber projection to regio inferior, CA1 to entire hippocampus), and measures of hippocampal volume relative to gross measurements (telencephalic volume, brain weight, body weight, hind foot length). Again, we predict that differences between groups will be correlated to known species differences and to differences in space use during rearing. Natural variation in sex-specific leaning patterns provides a novel window into cognitive function. By linking this perspective with existing data on space use in the wild, and new data on spatial learning and the relative size of the relevant brain structures, we hope to shed new light on the evolution of cognition itself.

大脑的组织和功能对人类的 健康科学 研究得最好的大脑结构之一是 海马体，但许多问题仍然存在关于其在认知 处理. 本申请提出研究这个问题 用一种新的方法。 首先，我们将量化自然变化， 学习能力的野生啮齿类动物的任务，已知需要 海马（空间学习）。 第二，我们将解剖 与实验室小鼠学习能力相关的指标： 不同海马结构的相对体积。 三是 测量相同的行为和相同的海马组成部分， 这些野生啮齿动物的实验室饲养的后代，所以我们可以估计 经验对学习和海马比例的影响。 最后， 我们的研究对象是两种密切相关的啮齿动物， 行为以一种显著的方式分化：在一个物种中，雄性学习 比女性更快，在另一个没有性别差异。 实验组（来自两个物种中的每一个的两种性别， 在两种条件下）将首先在一系列 空间学习范式 我们预测群体之间的差异 将与自然差异相关， 空间体验的实验操作。然后我们将测量 每个受试者海马体的体积;特别是那些 已知其随空间性能而变化。 为了进行这些测量， 切片的脑组织将使用Timm's硫化物-银染色 海马成分的可视化方法。 然后，我们将使用 图像处理工作站测量和计算“内”的比率 海马测量（苔藓纤维投射至下区，CA 1至 整个海马），以及海马体积相对于 大体测量（端脑体积，脑重量，体重， 后足长度）。 我们再次预测， 将与已知的物种差异和 饲养期间的空间使用。 性别特异性学习模式的自然变化提供了一种新的 认知功能的窗口 通过将这种观点与 关于野外空间使用的现有数据和关于空间学习的新数据 以及相关大脑结构的相对大小，我们希望能够 对认知进化本身的新认识。