Behavioral Analysis of Hippocampal Function

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案的主要目标是通过开发一套行为范式来测试有关海马特定功能操作的计算模型所做的假设，并检查海马的分区域特异性。研究海马体各子区域的不同贡献的重要性在于了解海马体内部的信息流，从而有可能确定海马体的输入输出功能，并了解海马体对助记信息和记忆表征的整体处理的贡献。更具体地说，第一个目标是开发基于空间、时间和反应属性的模式分离过程的行为范式，以确定背侧和腹侧海马是否在这些模式分离过程中发挥作用，如果是，分析次区域特异性（DG、CA1和CA3）并测试计算模型的预测。第二个目标是发展行为范式，以检验模式关联的形成，包括涉及非空间和空间关联的物体-地点和气味-地点关联，涉及非空间关联的气味-物体关联，以及涉及非空间和时间信息的气味-延迟-物体关联，以确定背侧和腹侧海马是否在这些模式关联的形成中发挥作用，如果是，分析分区域特异性（DG、CA1和CA3），并检验计算模型的预测结果。第三个目标是建立行为范式来检验时空信息的模式完成，以确定背侧和腹侧海马是否在时空信息的模式完成中起作用，如果起作用，则分析次区域特异性（DG， CA1和CA3）并检验计算模型的预测。希望这一信息将有助于理解海马背侧和腹侧亚区在人类记忆信息处理中的作用。这是特别有趣的，因为慢性应激似乎在CA3区产生损伤，而缺氧发作似乎主要在CA1区产生细胞损失。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The main goal of this proposal is to test the assumptions made by computational models concerning the operation of specific functions assigned to the hippocampus by developing a set of behavioral paradigms and to examine subregional specificity of the hippocampus. The importance of examining differential contributions of the sub regions of the hippocampus is to understand information flow within the hippocampus, so that it will be possible to determine input-output functions of the hippocampus and understand the contribution that the hippocampus makes to the overall processing of mnemonic information and memory representation. More specifically, the first aim is to develop behavioral paradigms to examine pattern separation processes based on spatial, temporal, and response attributes, to determine whether the dorsal and ventral hippocampus play a role in each of these pattern separation processes, and if so, to analyze subregional specificity (DG, CA1 and CA3) and test predictions made by computational models. The second aim is to develop behavioral paradigms to examine the formation of pattern associations including object-place and odor-place associations that involve non-spatial and spatial associations, odor-object associations that involve non-spatial associations, and odor-delay-object associations that involves non-spatial and temporal information, to determine whether the dorsal and ventral hippocampus play a role in the formation of each of these pattern associations, and if so, to analyze subregional specificity (DG, CA1 and CA3) and test predictions made by computational models. The third aim is to develop behavioral paradigms to examine pattern completion for spatial and temporal information, to determine whether the dorsal and ventral hippocampus play a role in pattern completion for spatial and temporal information, and if so, to analyze subregional specificity (DG, CA1 and CA3) and test predictions made by computational models. It is hoped that this information will be useful in understanding the role of sub regions of the dorsal and ventral hippocampus in processing mnemonic information in humans. This is of special interest since chronic stress appears to produce damage in the CA3 region and hypoxic episodes appear to produce cell loss primarily in the CA1 region.