Signal transduction and adult cortical network activity

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Persistent network activity is thought to form the cellular basis of working memory - the mental "scratch pad" which we use to manipulate concepts and to compare incoming information with that stored in long term memory. This cognitive function is disrupted by stress through mechanisms that are not well understood. Since network activity may be fundamental for cognitive function, certain aspects of the mechanisms underlying this network activity are the focus of many recent studies. However, little is known about how network activity is modulated by second messenger systems. The cyclic nucleotides, cAMP and cGMP, are second messengers that play a major role in the central nervous system and are a point of convergence and cross talk among many different neurotransmitter systems. This research will improve our understanding of the cortical mechanisms by which stress affects cognition and emotional behaviour.