Activity dependent plasticity - learning and reorganization

我们都在学习，而且大多数人都很擅长学习。关于学习，更令人惊奇的是，大脑允许我们在学习发生后的几天，几个月，甚至几十年后记住我们所学习的事件。 其中一个最引人注目的理论概述了脑细胞的变化，包括脑细胞形状和结构的变化，这将成为学习和记忆的基础。 这一理论有一些令人信服的证据表明，脑细胞（神经元）将在被教授新技能的动物中生长并改变其形状。 然而，学习、脑细胞变化和细胞内部发生的潜在机制之间的关系还没有得到很好的理解。这项建议涉及研究真实的学习、记忆和大脑对经验的反应方式。 我们希望通过定义1）哪些神经元发生变化，2）蛋白质水平的变化，3）与学习相关的血管支持的使用，来研究哺乳动物大脑的许多特征。我们现在接受大脑在生命周期中发生变化的观点，但我们还不知道这些变化的局限性或程度，我们将1）调查长期变化的持续性，2）确定随着年龄增长的可塑性水平。最后，我们将检查一些限制大脑改变能力的因素，如疾病和伤害。 神经元在大脑皮层中的作用是该提案的主要焦点，因为1）皮层最有可能是长期记忆的存储场所，2）神经元结构已被很好地表征，3）在许多运动皮层区域中，神经元可塑性已被报道，以响应环境的新奇和学习，和4）据报道，运动学习诱导的神经元可塑性与生理测量相关。 这项工作的意义在于，我的实验室将有助于理解我们是如何学习和记忆的。

We all learn and most of us tend to be quite good at doing so. The more amazing thing about learning is that the brain allows for the memory of events we learn about to be remembered days, months, even decades after the learning took place. One of the most compelling theories outlines brain cell changes, which would include the change in shape and structure of brain cells, that would underlie learning and memory. This theory has some convincing evidence that brain cells (neurons) will grow and change their shape in animals that are taught new skills. The relationships between learning, brain cell change and the underlying mechanisms that take place within the cells themselves, however, are not well understood. This proposal is concerned with studying real learning, memory and the way that the brain changes in response to experience. We expect to study many characteristics of the mammalian brain that may change with learning by defining 1) which neurons change, 2) alterations in protein levels, 3) the use of vascular support associated with learning. We now accept that the brain changes over the lifespan, but we do not yet know the limitations or the extent of these changes and we will 1) investigate the persistence of change over the long term and 2) determine levels of plasticity with aging. Finally, we will exam some of the factors that limit the ability of the brain to change, such as illness and injury. The role of neurons in the cortex of the brain is the principal focus of the proposal because 1) the cortex is the most likely the storage site for long-term memories, 2) neuronal architecture has been well characterized, 3) neuronal plasticity has been reported in many motor cortex areas in response to environmental novelty and learning, and 4) motor learning-induced neuronal plasticity has been reported to correlate with physiological measures. The significance of this work is that my lab will contribute to the understanding of how it is that we learn and remember.