We assessed hippocampal-dependent memory in mice with a Ca(2+)-independent form of CaMKII generated by the introduction of an aspartate at amino acid 286. The CaMKII-Asp-286 mice show normal LTP at high frequency stimulation, but in the 5-10 Hz range, they show a shift in the frequency-response curve favoring LTD. This range of frequencies is similar to the theta rhythm, which is associated wit...

Human astrocytes are larger and more complex than those of infraprimate mammals, suggesting that their role in neural processing has expanded with evolution. To assess the cell-autonomous and species-selective properties of human glia, we engrafted human glial progenitor cells (GPCs) into neonatal immunodeficient mice. Upon maturation, the recipient brains exhibited large numbers and high propo...

In many animals, behaviours such as territoriality, mate guarding, navigation and food acquisition rely heavily on spatial memory abilities; this has been demonstrated in diverse taxa, from invertebrates to mammals. However, spatial memory ability in squamate reptiles has been seen as possible, at best, or non-existent, at worst. Of the few previous studies testing for spatial memory in squamat...

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) affect millions of people each year. Research investigating repeated or serial damage in the form of lesions indicates that behavioral deficits are reduced in animals given sequential lesions separated by a sufficient period of recovery. In the lesion literature, this phenomenon is known as the serial lesion effect (SLE). Although the SLE phenomenon is establishe...

Fast excitatory transmission in the mammalian central nervous system is mediated by AMPA-type glutamate receptors. The tetrameric AMPA receptor complexes are composed of four subunits, GluR1-4. The GluR4 subunit is highly expressed in the cerebellum and the early postnatal hippocampus and is thought to be involved in synaptic plasticity and the development of functional neural circuitry through...

Epileptic seizures are accompanied by learning and memory impairments. In this study, the effect of low frequency stimulation (LFS) on spatial was assessed in kindled animals followed for one month. Fully rats received LFS at 4 times (immediately, 6 h, 24 h 30 following final kindling stimulation). Applying improved animals’ performance Barnes maze test. This action a decrease NR2B gene express...

The electrically induced increase in hippocampal synaptic strength known as long-term potentiation (LTP) is thought to involve some of the same mechanisms as those mediating information storage during spatial learning. Physiological saturation of synaptic weights might therefore be expected to occlude spatial learning. In support of this, Castro et al. (Castro CA, Silbert LH, McNaughton BL, Bar...

BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by welldefined neuropathological brain changes including amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and the presence of chronic neuroinflammation. OBJECTIVE The brain penetrant BET bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 has been shown to regulate inflammation responses in vitro and in vivo, but its therapeutic poten...

Calcium-calmodulin dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) is a protein kinase that activates the transcription factor CREB, the cyclic AMP-response element binding protein. CREB is a key transcription factor in synaptic plasticity and memory consolidation. To elucidate the behavioral effects of CaMKIV deficiency, we subjected CaMKIV knockout (CaMKIV KO) mice to a battery of behavioral tests. CaMK...