Structural and functional plasticity in hippocampal networks during spatial information processing

脑细胞(神经元)之间的许多连接是稳定的，不会随着时间的推移而改变。然而，由于环境事件，随着时间的推移，许多神经连接会得到和失去，这表明大脑中的“连接”可以改变。大脑中被证明对记忆过程至关重要的一个部分是海马体。这项拟议的研究将调查与记忆功能相关且可能对记忆功能至关重要的海马体连接变化。这些实验的主要主题是提供一个更完整的了解结构改变(连接)、内在神经特性(遗传过程)和认知过程(记忆)之间的相互作用。阐明与学习相关的结构可塑性及其神经化学基础可能有助于确定调节中枢神经系统可塑性的一般神经机制。这些研究很有吸引力，因为它们将为认知和记忆过程的变化提供经验证据，这些变化与特定大脑回路的结构可塑性有关。这些学习诱导的变化可能有助于提供有关成人认知增强机制的基础知识。这可能会在改变记忆形成和丧失的基本机制方面有潜在的应用。这一结果还可能对学习障碍以及阿尔茨海默病的研究带来重要的见解。对记忆功能的基本了解是了解记忆功能障碍的关键一步。

Many connections between brain cells (neurons) are stable and do not change over time. However, a number of neural connections are gained and lost over time due to environmental events, suggesting that "wiring" in the brain can be altered. One part of the brain that has been shown to be critical for memory processes is the hippocampus. The proposed research will investigate wiring changes in the hippocampus that are associated with and may be critical for memory function. The overarching theme of these experiments is to provide a more complete understanding of the interactions between structural modification (wiring), intrinsic neural properties (genetic processes) and cognitive processes (memory). The elucidation of learning-associated structural plasticity and its neurochemical underpinnings may lead to the identification of general neural mechanisms that mediate plasticity in the central nervous system. These studies are appealing as they will provide empirical evidence concerning variations in cognition and memory processes in relation to structural plasticity in specific brain circuits. These learning-induced changes may help provide a fundamental knowledge of the mechanisms subserving cognitive enhancement in adults. This could have potential applications for altering the basic mechanisms by which memories are formed and lost. The results may also lead to important insights into learning disorders as well as studies into Alzheimer's disease. Gaining a basic understanding of memory function is a critical step to understand memory dysfunction.