Structural and functional plasticity in hippocampal networks during spatial information processing

脑细胞（神经元）之间的许多连接是稳定的，不会随着时间的推移而改变。然而，随着时间的推移，由于环境事件，许多神经连接会增加和减少，这表明大脑中的“线路”可以被改变。大脑中对记忆过程至关重要的一部分是海马体。这项拟议的研究将调查海马体中与记忆功能相关并可能对记忆功能至关重要的线路变化。这些实验的首要主题是提供更完整的理解结构修改（布线），内在神经特性（遗传过程）和认知过程（记忆）之间的相互作用。学习相关的结构可塑性及其神经化学基础的阐明可能会导致在中枢神经系统中调节可塑性的一般神经机制的识别。这些研究具有吸引力，因为它们将提供与特定脑回路结构可塑性有关的认知和记忆过程变化的经验证据。这些由学习引起的变化可能有助于提供有关成人认知增强机制的基本知识。这可能在改变记忆形成和丢失的基本机制方面有潜在的应用。这一结果也可能对学习障碍和阿尔茨海默病的研究产生重要的启示。对记忆功能有一个基本的了解是理解记忆功能障碍的关键一步。

Many connections between brain cells (neurons) are stable and do not change over time. However, a number of neural connections are gained and lost over time due to environmental events, suggesting that "wiring" in the brain can be altered. One part of the brain that has been shown to be critical for memory processes is the hippocampus. The proposed research will investigate wiring changes in the hippocampus that are associated with and may be critical for memory function. The overarching theme of these experiments is to provide a more complete understanding of the interactions between structural modification (wiring), intrinsic neural properties (genetic processes) and cognitive processes (memory). The elucidation of learning-associated structural plasticity and its neurochemical underpinnings may lead to the identification of general neural mechanisms that mediate plasticity in the central nervous system. These studies are appealing as they will provide empirical evidence concerning variations in cognition and memory processes in relation to structural plasticity in specific brain circuits. These learning-induced changes may help provide a fundamental knowledge of the mechanisms subserving cognitive enhancement in adults. This could have potential applications for altering the basic mechanisms by which memories are formed and lost. The results may also lead to important insights into learning disorders as well as studies into Alzheimer's disease. Gaining a basic understanding of memory function is a critical step to understand memory dysfunction.