阿尔茨海默病（ Alzheimer's disease，简称 AD） 异常的行为精神症状是控制人行为和情绪的特定大脑核团的结构和功能失常所造成的，这种异常与调节情绪和记忆的神经元活性直接相关。5-HT受体是控制情绪的主要物质，也是调控情感障碍的核心神经递质和受体。本项研究围绕杏仁核中的5-HT受体对阿尔茨海默病早期情感行为的调节这一核心问题，利用转基因 AD 小鼠模型,结合光遗传、化学遗传以及钙成像技术研究 AD 病理条件下5-HT受体对杏仁核神经元的树突棘形态学、神经元活性以及钙信号变化等调节的分子机制，明确特定神经元中的5-HT受体对AD精神症状的发生和发展变化过程的重要调控作用。本研究将有助于深入理解 AD 早期的发病机制和发现治疗AD及老龄记忆衰退的新靶点。

The abnormal behavior and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may be attributable to abnormal brain nucleus for behavior and emotion, which involve impairment in neuronal activity for regulating emotion and memory. Serotonin receptors serve as an essential substance to control emotion and play a pivotal role in the regulation of affective disorders. Our proposed studies will focus on the mechanism of serotonin receptors mediated behavioral and psychological symptoms of AD, by using transgenic AD animal model combined with optogenetics, chemicalgenetics and calcium imaging to clarify how serotonin receptors modulate neuronal spine morphogenesis, neuronal activity and calcium signaling in amygdala for AD, and to reveal the mechanisms of the serotonin receptor of specific neurons in regulating behavior and psychological disorders. Our studies should lead to an increased understanding of new mechanisms and a novel potential therapeutic target for treatment of AD related symptoms.