Activity dependent plasticity - learning and reorganization

我们都在学习，而且我们中的大多数人往往都很擅长这样做。关于学习，更令人惊讶的是，大脑允许我们在学习发生几天、几个月、甚至几十年后记住我们所学到的事件。最有说服力的理论之一概述了脑细胞的变化，其中包括脑细胞形状和结构的变化，这将是学习和记忆的基础。这一理论有一些令人信服的证据表明，在学习了新技能的动物身上，脑细胞(神经元)会生长并改变其形状。然而，学习、脑细胞变化和细胞本身发生的潜在机制之间的关系还没有被很好地理解。这项建议关注的是研究真实的学习、记忆和大脑对经验做出反应的方式。我们希望通过定义1)哪些神经元改变，2)蛋白质水平的改变，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，这些特征可能会随着学习而改变。我们现在接受大脑随着寿命的变化而变化，但我们还不知道这些变化的局限性或程度，我们将1)研究变化的长期持久性，2)确定随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，例如疾病和损伤。大脑皮层中神经元的作用是该提案的主要焦点，因为1)大脑皮层最有可能是长期记忆的储存场所，2)神经元的结构已经被很好地描述，3)许多运动皮质区域的神经元可塑性被报道为对环境的新奇和学习的反应，以及4)运动学习诱导的神经元可塑性被报道与生理措施相关。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.