Image analysis program, microtome and operant chambers for investigating effects of hormones on cognition and brain

这笔设备补助金将允许我购买设备，这将大大提高我的研究效率和计划。我请求资金购买设备，以便更快地收集学习数据和设备，以便分析脑组织。我们正在研究性和应激激素对记忆的影响，以及它们如何影响大脑。激素的强大作用在青春期、怀孕和更年期等重大生活事件中得到了证明，这些事件在一定程度上是由性激素和压力激素精心策划的。荷尔蒙并不是对所有类型的记忆都有一致的作用，例如，高水平的雌激素会损害参考记忆（长期稳定的记忆），但不会损害工作记忆（短期变化的记忆）。使用操作室，我们将能够以快速有效的方式测试各种学习范式。这台设备将大大提高我们的生产率和研究质量。此外，新的显微切片机（切片脑组织）和图像分析系统（高效快速分析脑组织）的使用将帮助我们确定这些激素在哪里以及如何影响大脑结构。例如，我们研究激素如何影响树突棘的数量和形状，树突棘位于神经元（主要脑细胞）上。脊髓是一种可视化神经元之间兴奋性交流的方式。这项提案中的设备对于及时完成我们的研究至关重要，这将有助于理解激素如何以及在何处影响行为。

This equipment grant would allow me to purchase equipment that will greatly enhance my research productivity and program. I am requesting funds to purchase equipment to allow faster collection of learning data and equipment to allow for analysis of brain tissue. We are studying the effects of sex and stress hormones on memory and on how they affect the brain. The powerful effects of hormones are evidenced by major life events, such as puberty, pregnancy and menopause, which are in part orchestrated by sex and stress hormones. Hormones do not act uniformly on all types of memory, for example high levels of estrogens impair reference memory ( long-term stable memory) but not working memory (shorter-term changing memory). Using the operant chambers we will be able to test a variety of learning paradigms in a fast and efficient way. This equipment will greatly enhance our productivity and the quality of our research. In addition, the use of a new microtome (to slice brain tissue) and image analysis system (to efficiently and quickly analyse brain tissue) will aid us in determining where and how these hormones are effecting the structure of the brain. For example we study how hormones affect the number and shape of dendritic spines, which are located on neurons, (principle brain cells). Spines are a way of visualizing the excitatory communication between neurons. The equipment in this proposal is essential to the timely completion of our research, which will aid in understanding how and where hormones affect behaviour.