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Memory mission explores new territory in neuroscience
November 21, 2008Astrophysicists peer into the far corners of deep space for dark matter, but for neuroscientists at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) exploring the unknown is much closer to home.
They have discovered a mechanism vital to the development of the hippocampus * - a region of the brain crucial to the formation of memories, and the lifelong production and integration of new nerve cells.
To say the hippocampus is important is a bit like saying breathing is optimal.
According to QBI's Associate Professor Linda Richards, despite the crucial role performed by the hippocampus throughout life, knowledge of this region's early development remains surprisingly scant. Her research team is looking at how the brain forms during embryonic and foetal development.
Dr Richards and her colleagues have identified a gene that regulates the development of glial cells in the hippocampus. Their research shows that the hippocampus contains different populations of glial cells that are essential for the structural integrity of the hippocampus.
"Glial cells are an important part of the building blocks of the brain," Dr Richards said.
"They provide an essential scaffold for the migration of neurons in the developing brain. It is vital we understand how glial cells provide this structural scaffold because if the hippocampus is not formed correctly it cannot perform all the functions required of it in the developing and adult brain," she said.
"The hippocampus plays an integral role in spatial navigation, learning and memory, and is a major site for adult neurogenesis."
Mice lacking the gene that regulates glial cell differentiation exhibit major developmental irregularities, including catastrophic structural deformities of the hippocampus.
Equipped with this knowledge, researchers studying the hippocampus now have a better understanding of the genes that help control the development of this vital brain region. Fundamental scientific knowledge of this kind is an essential step in understanding brain function and repair.
Research Australia
According to QBI's Associate Professor Linda Richards, despite the crucial role performed by the hippocampus throughout life, knowledge of this region's early development remains surprisingly scant. Her research team is looking at how the brain forms during embryonic and foetal development.
Dr Richards and her colleagues have identified a gene that regulates the development of glial cells in the hippocampus. Their research shows that the hippocampus contains different populations of glial cells that are essential for the structural integrity of the hippocampus.
"Glial cells are an important part of the building blocks of the brain," Dr Richards said.
"They provide an essential scaffold for the migration of neurons in the developing brain. It is vital we understand how glial cells provide this structural scaffold because if the hippocampus is not formed correctly it cannot perform all the functions required of it in the developing and adult brain," she said.
"The hippocampus plays an integral role in spatial navigation, learning and memory, and is a major site for adult neurogenesis."
Mice lacking the gene that regulates glial cell differentiation exhibit major developmental irregularities, including catastrophic structural deformities of the hippocampus.
Equipped with this knowledge, researchers studying the hippocampus now have a better understanding of the genes that help control the development of this vital brain region. Fundamental scientific knowledge of this kind is an essential step in understanding brain function and repair.
Research Australia
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Hippocampus Current Events and Hippocampus News RSSBlood stem cell growth factor reverses memory decline in mice
A human growth factor that stimulates blood stem cells to proliferate in the bone marrow reverses memory impairment in mice genetically altered to develop Alzheimer's disease, researchers at the University of South Florida and James A. Haley Hospital found.
Hepatic encephalopathy and prehepatic portal hypertension rat model
A research article to be published June 21, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The research team lead by Dr. Gabriela Beatriz Acosta, observed that the activity of GS was increased in the hippocampus in PH rats.
Generation of a severe memory-deficit mutant mouse by exclusively eliminating the kinase activity of CaMKIIalpha
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha (CaMKII alpha) is an enzyme that adds phosphates to a variety of protein substrates to modify their functions.
Cerebrospinal fluid shows Alzheimer's disease deterioration much earlier
It is possible to determine which patients run a high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and the dementia associated with it, even in patients with minimal memory impairment. This has been shown by recent research at the Sahlgrenska Academy.
Measuring brain atrophy in patients with mild cognitive impairment
Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have shown that a fully automated procedure called Volumetric MRI - which measures the "memory centers" of the brain and compares them to expected size - is effective in predicting the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease.
CSHL researchers unravel how a protein helps nerve cells recycle synaptic vesicles
Brain cells, or neurons, transmit electrical signals efficiently only when they recycle tiny cellular sacs that store signaling chemicals called neurotransmitters.
Protein linked to mental retardation controls synapse maturation, plasticity, CSHL team finds
A team of neuroscientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has demonstrated the mechanism by which a signaling protein found throughout the brain controls the maturation and strength of excitatory synapses, the tiny gaps across which the majority of neurons communicate.
Caltech scientists reveal how neuronal activity is timed in brain's memory-making circuits
Theta oscillations are a type of prominent brain rhythm that orchestrates neuronal activity in the hippocampus, a brain area critical for the formation of new memories.
New mouse model of depression/anxiety enhances understanding of antidepressant drugs
A recent study finds that the antidepressant effects of drugs like Prozac involve both neurogenesis-dependent and -independent mechanisms, a finding that may lead to development of better treatments for depression and anxiety.
Automated analysis of MR images may identify early Alzheimer's disease
Analyzing MRI studies of the brain with software developed at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) may allow diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and of mild cognitive impairment, a lesser form of dementia that precedes the development of Alzheimer's by several years.
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The Hippocampus Book (Oxford Neuroscience Series) by Per Andersen (Editor), Richard Morris (Editor), David Amaral (Editor), Tim Bliss (Editor), John O'Keefe (Editor) The hippocampus is one of a group of remarkable structures embedded within the brain's medial temporal lobe. Long known to be important for memory, it has been a prime focus of neuroscience research for many years. The Hippocampus Book promises to facilitate developments in the field in a major way by bringing together, for the first time, contributions by leading international scientists knowledgeable about hippocampal anatomy, physiology, and function. This authoritative volume offers the most comprehensive, up-to-date account of what the hippocampus does, how it does it, and what happens when things go wrong. At the same time, it illustrates how research focusing on this single brain structure has revealed principles of wider generality for the whole brain in relation to anatomical... |
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The Human Hippocampus: Functional Anatomy, Vascularization and Serial Sections with MRI by Springer This book offers a precise description of the anatomy of human hippocampus in view of neurosurgical progress and the wealth of medical imaging methods available. A survey of the current concepts explains the functions of the hippocampus and describes its external and internal vascularisation. Head sections and magnetic resonance images complete this comprehensive view of human hippocampal anatomy. It will be of interest to neuroscientists and, in particular, to neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists and neurologists. |
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Gateway to Memory: An Introduction to Neural Network Modeling of the Hippocampus and Learning (Issues in Clinical and Cognitive Neuropsychology) by Mark A. Gluck (Author), Catherine E. Myers (Author) "Gateway to Memory is an exciting and badly needed text that integrates computational and neurobiological approaches to memory. Authoritative and clearly written, this book will be valuable for students and researchers alike." -- Daniel L. Schacter, Professor and Chair of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Searching for Memory This book is for students and researchers who have a specific interest in learning and memory and want to understand how computational models can be integrated into experimental research on the hippocampus and learning. It emphasizes the function of brain structures as they give rise to behavior, rather than the molecular or neuronal details. It also emphasizes the process of modeling, rather than the mathematical details of the models... |
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Neuronal Networks of the Hippocampus by Roger D. Traub (Author), Richard Miles (Author) The questions of how a large population of neurons in the brain functions, how synchronized firing of neurons is achieved, and what factors regulate how many and which neurons fire under different conditions form the central theme of this book. Using a combined experimental-theoretical approach unique in neuroscience, the authors present important new techniques for the physiological reconstruction of a large biological neuronal network. They begin by discussing experimental studies of the CA3 hippocampal region in vitro, focusing on single-cell and synaptic electrophysiology, particularly the effects a single neuron exerts on its neighbors. This is followed by a description of a computer model of the system, first for individual cells then for the entire detailed network, and the model... | |
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Groovin' in the Hippocampus by Lisa Jones Bromfield | |
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Hippocampus by Reaper Miniatures Dark Heaven 25mm heroic-scale miniatures are sold unpainted and may require assembly. |
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Hippocampus (Potency: 7C) by Quinn Hippocampus is a homeopathic remedy available as medicated sugar pellets in C potencies and as a liquid in 2 dram (1/4 oz), 1oz, and 4 oz sizes. Potencies of 30C and above are also available in ½ dram vials for those who need only 1 to 10 doses. We recommend using potencies from 6C to 30C for use in self diagnosis and prescribing. Hippocampus can be used to treat a wide range of diseases, all of which have a unique general pattern of effects upon an individual. Homeopathic medicine seeks to treat the whole person and not just a symptom or two because we are whole beings and not collections of unrelated symptoms. |
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Hippocampus Erectus - The Seahorse 12x18 Giclee on canvas by Buyenlarge Series: Classic Photography Artist: Unknown Period: Source country: USA Source Year: 12 inch by 18 inch Giclee print on Canvas. All files are stored digitally and are ready for reproduction. The quality is closely monitored to ensure professional results. This item is custom made per order. |
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T-shirt with water, seahorse, longsnout, hippocampus by SHOPZEUS Our standard t-shirts are made of 100% cotton and preshrunk (ultra cotton heavyweight). We typically use Gildan Activewear but at times may substitute with other brand name t-shirts. We carry thousands of t-shirts with sayings. To view additional t-shirts please visit our storefront on Amazon (Shopzeus.com) and search for t-shirt. |
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