We present a physiologically plausible spiking neuron-level model of the superior colliculus as part of the saccade-generating visual system. Two major features of the area are the bursting behavior of its output neurons that drive eye movements, and the spreading neuron activation in the intermediate layer during a saccade. We show that the bursting activity profile that drives the main sequen...

Neurotransmitter maps are important complements to anatomical maps and represent an invaluable resource to understand nervous system function and development. We report here a comprehensive map of neurons in the C. elegans nervous system that contain the neurotransmitter GABA, revealing twice as many GABA-positive neuron classes as previously reported. We define previously unknown glia-like cel...

Maze performance and morphology of frontal cortex were assessed in young adult, middle-aged, and aged rats with and without lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis. Although maze performance did not vary with age, neuron number and the thickness of superficial laminae were reduced in aged rats. Lamina II-III neurons were hypertrophied in middle-aged rats relative to both younger and olde...

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been linked to a deficiency in the brain neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Subsequently, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) were introduced for the symptomatic treatment of AD. The prevailing view has been that the efficacy of AChEIs is attained through their augmentation of acetylcholine-medicated neuron to neuron transmission. However, AChE...

Neuron-glia interactions play a critical role in the maturation of neural circuits; however, little is known about the pathways that mediate their communication in the developing CNS. We investigated neuron-glia signaling in the developing retina, where we demonstrate that retinal waves reliably induce calcium transients in Müller glial cells (MCs). During cholinergic waves, MC calcium transien...

The most characterized function of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is to terminate cholinergic signaling at neuron-neuron and neuro-muscular synapses. In addition, AChE is causally or casually implicated in neuronal development, stress-response, cognition, and neurodegenerative diseases. Given the importance of AChE, many studies have focused on identifying the molecular mechanisms that govern its ...

Brain development requires correct targeting of multiple thousand synaptic terminals onto staggeringly complex dendritic arbors. The mechanisms by which input synapse numbers are matched to dendrite size, and by which synaptic inputs from different transmitter systems are correctly partitioned onto a postsynaptic arbor, are incompletely understood. By combining quantitative neuroanatomy with ta...

Vascular blood vessels have various types of cholinergic acetylcholine receptors (AChR), but the source of ACh has not been confirmed. Perivascular adrenergic nerves and nonadrenergic calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-containing (CGRPergic) nerves innervate rat mesenteric arteries and regulate vascular tone. However, function of cholinergic innervation remains unknown. The present study in...

Carbachol was injected into a presynaptic cholinergic neuron in the buccal ganglion of Aplysia and the quantal aspects of the Cl- -dependent postsynaptic response to a prolonged stimulation were analyzed by a statistical fluctuation method. The calculated amplitude of the miniature postsynaptic current was increased with respect to control. Statistical fluctuation analysis was also used to anal...

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, which is characterized by a progressive decline in memory and cognitive function, accompanied with behavioral changes such as confusion, irritability and aggression, mood swings, language breakdown and eventually long-term memory loss. The most significant pathological findings in the brain affected by AD are senile plaques, neurofib...