Several data have shown that the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is necessary for long-term memory formation and might play a role in the structural reorganization of synapses. The NCAM, encoded by a single gene, is represented by several isoforms that differ with regard to their content of alpha-2,8-linked sialic acid residues (PSA) on their extracellular domain. The carbohydrate PSA is k...

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to identify brain- wide networks that are activated by electrical stimulation of either the ventral tegmental area (VTA) or hippocampal CA3 region. Stimulation of either one of these regions caused significant BOLD responses in common structures, such as the septum and left and right hippocampus, but also in unique structures, such as the me...

In this paper, we propose a model of predictive learning in the septal-hippocampal region of the brain. We suggest that this region plays a primary role in monitoring the stability of the sensory cues that an animal receives from the external world, in relation to its own internally generated knowledge of its location, direction of gaze, and direction of movement. Our predictive model of inform...

Inhibitory GABAergic synaptic currents are the predominant current source underlying hippocampal oscillations in vitro and their kinetics controls the frequency of these oscillations. Since GABAergic synapse kinetics is determined by the α subunit type expressed in the synaptic GABA A receptors, expression of these subunits will most likely affect properties of hippocampal oscillations. It is u...

We describe an implantable patch sensor for monitoring L-glutamate in hippocampal slices in submerged and interface preparations. This patch sensor is prepared by excising the cell membrane in the CA3 region of a hippocampal slice in a submerged preparation, and then implanted in the target neuronal region (CA1) of mouse hippocampal slices. The lifetime of the sensor was 3-8 min for the interfa...

Activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) produces multiple effects in cortical neurons, resulting in the emergence of network activities including epileptiform discharges. The cellular mechanisms underlying such network responses are largely unknown. We examined the properties of group I mGluR-mediated cellular responses in CA3 neurons and attempted to determine their role in the...

The hippocampal CA1 field processes spatial information, but the relative importance of intra- vs. extra-hippocampal sources of input into CA1 for spatial behavior is unclear. To characterize the relative roles of these two sources of input, originating in the hippocampal field CA3 and in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), we studied effects of discrete neurotoxic lesions of CA3 or MEC on conc...

Background: A human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-based lentiviral vector (LV) pseudotyped by a variant of rabies envelope glycoprotein, FUG-B2, has previously been prepared and used in transfection of hippocampal CA1 ("Cornu Ammonis" area 1) neurons. This study aimed to verify reactive gliosis and neuronal damage after injection of the vector into the rat hippocampus. Methods: HEK 293T...

Stress has deleterious effects on brain, body, and behavior in humans and animals alike. The present work investigated how 30-min acute photic stress exposure impacts on spatial information processing in the main sub-regions of the dorsal hippocampal formation [CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG)], a brain structure prominently implicated in memory and spatial representation. Recordings were perfo...