ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING--BEHAVIORAL AND CELLULAR STUDIES

我们正在分析一种起病快、持续时间长的神经基础 陆栖鼻涕虫的联想学习机制。这个 学习机制是喂食神经控制系统的一部分。我们 使用行为实验来定义 喂食的神经控制系统。神经生理学和神经化学 实验的目的是定义可塑性变化和 它们背后的致病生物物理和生化事件。 拟议的行为实验将进一步表征 离体脑神经节联想学习能力的测试 长期记忆保持时间为数天或更高级别 条件反射现象(二阶条件反射、复合条件反射 和阻挡)由完好的动物显示。神经生理学实验 将重点放在以前表征的多巴胺能和 5-羟色胺能神经元与学习和寻找大脑中的指挥神经元 饲喂网络是塑料变化的潜在基因座。神经化学 实验将扩大我们的观察结果，即饮食中的胆碱可以增加 通过测试饮食中酪氨酸和酪氨酸对记忆的影响 色氨酸对大脑多巴胺和5-羟色胺水平的影响以及对学习和 记忆力保持。 成功的学习和记忆治疗措施的设计 老年痴呆症和阿尔茨海默病等疾病将得到帮助 很大程度上取决于作为正常基础的基本突触变化的定义 学习和记忆存储。拟议的实验将有助于 这个定义。

We are analyzing the neuronal basis of a rapid-onset, long-duration associative learning mechanism in the terrestrial slug, Limax maximus. The learning mechanism is part of the neural control system for feeding. We use behavioral experiments to define the major plastic capabilities of the neural control system for feeding. Neurophysiological and neurochemical experiments aim to define the critical synaptic loci of plastic changes and the causative biophysical and biochemical events which underly them. The proposed behavioral experiments will further characterize the associative learning ability of the isolated cerebral ganglia by testing for long term memory retention times of several days and the higher order conditioning phenomena (second order conditioning, compound conditioning and blocking) shown by the intact animal. Neurophysiological experiments will focus on changes in previously characterized dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons with learning and search for command neurons in the feeding network as potential loci for plastic changes. Neurochemical experiments will extend our observation that dietary choline augments memory retention by testing for the effects of dietary tyrosine and tryptophan on brain levels of dopamine and serotonin and on learning and memory retention. The design of successful therapeutic measures for learning and memory disorders such as senile dementia and Alzheimer's disease would be aided greatly by definition of the basic synaptic changes which underlie normal learning and memory storage. The proposed experiments will contribute to that definition.