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| Research article summary (published 14 Sep 2002): |
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Synapse formation is associated with memory storage in the cerebellum.
Full Abstract
The idea that memory is encoded by means of synaptic growth is not new. However, this idea has been difficult to demonstrate in the mammalian brain because of both the complexity of mammalian behavior and the neural circuitry by which it is supported. Here we examine how eyeblink classical conditioning affects synapse number within the cerebellum; the brain region essential for long-term retention of the conditioned response. Results showed eyeblink-conditioned rats to have significantly more synapses per neuron within the cerebellar interpositus nucleus than both explicitly unpaired and untrained controls. Further analysis showed that the increase was caused by the addition of excitatory rather than inhibitory synapses. Thus, development of the conditioned eyeblink response is associated with a strengthening of inputs from precerebellar nuclei rather than from cerebellar cortex. These results demonstrate that the modifications of specific neural pathways by means of synaptogenesis contributes to formation of a specific memory within the mammalian brain.
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Author information
Author/s: Kleim, Jeffrey A (JA); Freeman, John H (JH); Bruneau, Rochelle (R); Nolan, Brian C (BC); Cooper, Natalie R (NR); Zook, Alison (A); Walters, Drew (D);
Affiliation: Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1K 3M4. jeffrey.kleim@uleth.ca
Grants: NS-38890 (Agency:United States NINDS)
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2002-Oct; vol 99 (issue 20) : pp 13228-31
Dates: Created 2002/10/02; Completed 2002/11/13; Revised 2007/11/14;
PMID: 12235373, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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