Pharmacological and experiential factors that modulate development of neural connectivity involved in spatial and nonspatial memory processing.

在神经发育过程中，大脑在结构和功能上都表现出广泛的变化，这些变化是各种信息处理任务（如感觉、运动、认知）出现的基础。有证据指向一个结论，即在发育过程中发生如此高的可塑性，被认为依赖于这些过程的记忆形成将非常有效地进行（例如，学习和保留两种语言在幼年时最容易发生）。另一方面，由于发育过程中神经元景观的不断变化，一些被认为是记忆形成基础的结构修改可能会随着随后的记忆缺陷而丢失。目前的建议的一个主要问题是，记忆是如何在青少年的大脑中被处理和巩固的，以及哪些因素可能在起作用，有助于促进整个生命周期的记忆完整性。特别地，我和我的学生所做的工作的性质将基于综合神经科学方法来研究记忆巩固和长期存储背景下对神经结构和功能的内源性和外源性影响。关于内源性影响的本质，我们将研究参与长期记忆存储和相关的各种认知功能出现的记忆结构的正常发展轨迹。与外源性影响相关的工作性质将集中在药物操作对大脑发育的影响上，以及对整个生命周期中信息处理能力的最终影响。在这项研究中，药理学和行为学任务结合脑成像来重建神经元和量化神经属性，以及免疫组织化学技术来提供记忆形成后详细的结构和功能变化。这项工作的预期结果将为影响青少年大脑记忆巩固和存储的无数因素提供基础知识。这项工作的好处可能有助于更全面地了解整个生命周期的基本记忆过程。对神经科学领域的好处集中在提供关于长期调节大脑基本记忆功能的药理学和经验因素的见解。考虑到这项基础研究对理解和治疗因大脑损伤或衰老而导致的记忆障碍和缺陷的潜在贡献，加拿大强调了这项基础研究的重要性。在考虑帮助由于发育迟缓或贫困环境而表现出认知缺陷的儿童的最佳做法时，也将实现对加拿大人的预期结果。

During neural development, the brain shows widespread changes in both its structure and function that underlie the emergence of a variety of information processing tasks (e.g., sensory, motor, cognition). Evidence has pointed to one conclusion that with such high rates of plasticity that occur during development, memory formation, thought to depend on these processes, would proceed very efficiently (e.g., learning and retaining two languages occurs most readily at an early age). On the other hand, because of the ever-changing neuronal landscape during development, some structural modifications hypothesized to underlie memory formation might be lost with ensuing memory deficits. A primary question for the current proposal concerns the way in which memories are processed and consolidated in the juvenile brain and what factors may be at work that would help to facilitate the integrity of memories throughout the lifespan. Specially, the nature of the work to be done by my students and I will be based on an integrative neuroscience approach to study both endogenous and exogenous influences on neural structure and function in the context of memory consolidation and long-term storage. With respect to the nature of endogenous influences, we will examine the normal developmental trajectory of memory structures that participate in long-term memory storage and associated emergence of various cognitive functions. The nature of work relating to exogenous influences will center on the effect of pharmacological manipulations to either enhance or dampen brain development and the ultimate impact on information processing ability throughout the lifespan. In this research, pharmacological and behavioral tasks are used in conjunction with brain imaging to reconstruct neurons and quantify neural attributes as well as immunohistochemical techniques to provide detailed structural and functional changes following memory formation. Anticipated outcomes from this work will provide fundamental knowledge on the myriad of factors that influence memory consolidation and storage in the juvenile brain. The benefit of this work may prove beneficial in gaining a more complete understanding of basic memory processes throughout the lifespan. The benefit to the field of Neuroscience centers on providing insights as to pharmacological and experiential factors that modulate basic memory functions in the brain over the long term. The importance of this basic research to Canada is highlighted when considering its potential contributions to the understanding and therapeutic treatment of memory impairments and deficits incurred as a result of damage to, or aging of, the brain. Expected outcomes to Canadians will also be realized when considering best practices for assisting children showing cognitive deficits due to developmental delays or impoverished environments.