Identification of Neural Markers Accompanying Memory

Alfredo Meneses

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9780124167117
• Topic: Psychologie
• Subtopic: Psychologie cognitive et cognition

Identification of Neural Markers Accompanying Memory is a fresh and novel volume of memory study, providing up-to-date and comprehensive information for both students and researchers focused on the identification of neural markers accompanying memory. Contributions by experts in specific areas of memory study provide background on and definitions of memory, memory alterations, and the brain areas involved in memory and its related processes, such as consolidation, retrieval, forgetting, amnesia, and antiamnesiac effects. With coverage of the principal neurotransmitters related to memory, brain disorders presenting memory alterations, and available treatments—and with discussion of neural markers as new targets for the treatment of memory alterations— Identification of Neural Markers Accompanying Memory is a necessary and timely work for researchers in this growing field.

• Discusses the alterations of memory in diverse diseases
• Includes coverage from a basic introduction of memory investigation
• Reviews brain areas and neurotransmitters involved in memory
• Discusses behavioral models of memory
• Contains novel insights into the complexity of signaling and memory
• Includes the neuropharmacological and neurobiological bases of memory

1

Introduction

Alfredo Meneses,    Department of Pharmacobiology, CINVESTAV, México

Contributions of age-related changes in neuromodulatory systems to cognitive decline, but also the contribution of interactions between neurotransmission systems and their transporters to the learning and memory deficits associated with aging and AD and forgetting. Excellent, fresh, and new advances are included. Also, the contribution of pharmacology to research on the mechanisms of memory formation is one of the major focus.

Keywords

Memory; dysfunctional memory; neurotransmitters systems

Neurotransmitters and Memory: Introduction

Memory is a basic function of the brain and fundamental in our life. Memory may be defined according to its content, in relation to time and its neurobiological basis: in the former case, as declarative/explicit or nondeclarative/implicit memory, and regarding time, as short-term memory (STM) or working and long-term memory (LTM) (Davis and Squire, 1984; Izquierdo et al., 1999, 2006); the latter depends on protein and mRNA synthesis (Meneses et al., 2011). Considering that memory is a field of scientific investigation in constant expansion, hence in this book the aim is offering a brief and introductory overview for students of the area, using relevant and (and when is possible) recent references. Diverse brain areas (Squire and Zola, 1996; Eichenbaum, 2013), neurotransmitters (see below), and cell signaling have been associated to memory (Vianna et al., 2000) and its alterations.

Firstly, extensive evidence indicates that disruption of cholinergic function is characteristic of aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and experimental manipulation of the cholinergic system in laboratory animals suggests age-related cholinergic dysfunction may play an important role in cognitive deterioration associated with aging and AD (Decker and McGaugh, 2004; McGaugh, 1989; Myhrer, 2003). Recent investigation, however, suggests that cholinergic dysfunction does not provide a complete account of age-related cognitive deficits and that age-related changes in cholinergic function typically occur within the context of changes in several other neuromodulatory systems. Interactions between the cholinergic system and several of other neurotransmitters and neuromodulators (including norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, GABA, opioid peptides, galanin, substance P, and angiotensin II) may be important in learning and memory (Decker and McGaugh, 2004; Reiss et al., 2009). It is important to consider not only the independent contributions of age-related changes in neuromodulatory systems to cognitive decline, but also the contribution of interactions between neurotransmission systems to the learning and memory deficits associated with aging and AD (Decker and McGaugh, 2004).

In perspective, if receptors for all agents (e.g., hormones, trophic factors odorants, peptides) in addition to the transmitters were counted, a total of 1000 would not be surprising (Cooper et al., 2003). Before this abundance of neurotransmitters, then, among the neurotransmitters mentioned in this chapter, we are including the cholinergic (Bentley et al., 2011; Graef et al., 2011), glutamatergic (Piers et al., 2012; chapter 3 this volume), GABAergic (Reiss et al., 2009; chapter 4 this volume), dopaminergic (Reiss et al., 2009; chapter 5 this volume), and serotonergic (serotonin, 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) (Altman and Normile, 1988; Ogren, 1985; Rodríguez et al., 2012; see below). Importantly, the behavioral endophenotypes had become an important tool (chapter 6 this volume). An excellent, fresh, and new advance is about a role for learning and memory in the expression of an innate behavior (chapter 9 this volume). Of course, protein synthesis and memory had become an important subject (chapter 7 this volume).

As a detailed description of the neurotransmission systems included herein is beyond the present work, then a shallow overview is provided. An excellent atlas about neuroactive substances, their projections and receptors is available (Tohyama et al., 1998); hence, in this work the contribution of pharmacology to research on the mechanisms of memory formation (McGaugh and Izquierdo, 2000) is one of the major focus. Certainly, the transporters of neurotransmission systems play a crucial function in the regulation of intra-synaptic concentrations and play an important role in memory formation, amnesia, anti-amnesic effects, and forgetting (see e.g., Tellez et al., 2012a,b). Likewise, hippocampal neurogenesis and forgetting are important (Frankland et al., 2013). Finally, the diabetes case (chapter 10 this volume) allows illustrating the variety of memory disorders. The basic elements of signal transduction pathways are provided (chapter 8 this volume).

References

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2

Neurotransmitters and Memory

Cholinergic, Glutamatergic, GaBAergic, Dopaminergic, Serotonergic, Signaling, and Memory

Alfredo Meneses, Department of Pharmacobiology, CINVESTAV, México

Certainly, beyond the implication of cholinergic system in memory and therapeutic applications, the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine had been a remarkable amnesic agent. In addition, therapeutic options for AD are currently limited to symptomatic treatment that only provides modest and temporary maintenance of cognitive and memory functions, without altering disease progression. Neurotransmitters like glutamate, GABA, dopamine and serotonin seem to be involved in memory and its alterations; hence some aspects and data are summarized. Importantly, 5-HT systems and neurobiological markers related to memory systems are revised. Likewise, protocols of training/testing, memory tasks and drugs used are briefly discussed. Importantly, determination if drugs, age and/or memory alone alter receptor expression and/or signal cascades is very important. Brain areas, neurotransmitters systems, drugs together with cognitive and behavioral demand of memory tasks, and protocols of training are highlighted. Molecular signaling is key field of scientific investigation; particularly, as the study of the molecular bases of memory has been become a field of the major scientific interest, hence, in the following lines some aspects are mentioned. Moreover, quest for memory enhancement is an important investigation area; considering that the global population is increasingly aging. Finally, in addition to pharmacological approaches, there are a number of behavioral manipulations that have been found to be effective in promoting memory.

Keywords

Memory; amnesia; forgetting; memory disorders; neurotransmi...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• List of Contributors
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Neurotransmitters and Memory: Cholinergic, Glutamatergic, GaBAergic, Dopaminergic, Serotonergic, Signaling, and Memory
• 3. The Role of GABA in Memory Processes
• 4. Involvement of Glutamate in Learning and Memory
• 5. Dopamine and Memory
• 6. Unpacking Memory Processes: Using the Attribute Model to Design Optimal Memory Tests for Rodent Models
• 7. Protein Synthesis and Memory: A Word of Caution
• 8. Basic Elements of Signal Transduction Pathways Involved in Chemical Neurotransmission
• 9. A Role for Learning and Memory in the Expression of an Innate Behavior: The Case of Copulatory Behavior
• 10. Memory Disorders: The Diabetes Case