Authors:

Anand Shukla-Parekh

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About Paper:

The formation of spatial memory involves many intricate and highly complex networks in the brain. One such network is called synaptic plasticity, a mechanism of memory that is able to acquire and retain information (Nakazawa, 2004). Within the CA1 region of the hippocampus there are excitatory neurons called CA1 pyramidal neurons that are known to be responsible for the formation of new spatial memories through the development of place cells. These cells are responsible for displaying place fields, which are the spatially and contextually selective receptive fields (Bittner, 2015). While much of the existing literature has characterized the induction of place fields through techniques such as ex vivo brain slices, repeated stimulation protocols, and whole-cell patch clamp recordings (Bittner, 2017), the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the spontaneous formation of place fields in awake, behaving animals remain insufficiently understood. This research project investigates how synaptic inputs to CA1 pyramidal neuron dendrites contribute to place field induction using an all-optical, in vivo approach. This methodology enables us to both monitor changes in synaptic weight and photoactivate specific constructs tagged to the synapse before and after the induction of a place field in single CA1 pyramidal neurons during spatial navigation (Gonzalez, 2024). The main focus of this research will be to discover the specific molecular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity at synapses receiving relevant excitatory input.

Source:

Columbia / Philosophy / 2027

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Co-authors:

Anand Shukla-Parekh