Developed originally by Tonegawa and colleagues, the technology integrates optogenetics and immediate early gene (IEG) labelling to drive the expression of a transgene in cells that specifically respond to an experience ( Boyden et al., 2005 Reijmers et al., 2007 Tonegawa et al., 2015a, b). Memory engram technology is based on the combination of transgenic, optogenetic, behavioural and electrophysiological approaches. Recently, we have begun to make progress in our understanding of both memory and amnesia through the development of memory engram technology. The general approach is to interfere with a brain region, physiological process or gene that we hypothesize is important for memory, and then look for experimental amnesia in a given behavioural paradigm ( McGaugh, 2000). To understand the mechanisms of engram formation, we have primarily relied on indirect methodological approaches, for example, by studying amnesia. Reactivation of these engram cells will result in the recall of that particular memory ( Semon, 1904). In 1904, Richard Semon postulated that experiences provoke long-lasting changes in specific neurons that result in an enduring memory trace – an engram of the acquired information. Understanding memory, and its mechanisms, is a central goal of modern neuroscience. Knowledge learnt by animals alters their brain and modulates how the brain then regulates future behaviour. Memory is the ability to store information of past experiences in the brain. Currently, therapeutic interventions are limited by the lack of understanding of how memory functions in both health and disease. As a result, there are many efforts towards developing successful treatments. Amnesia has a huge clinical significance – its effects on the daily life of patients who suffer from it can be enormous. It is often the earliest and most persistent symptom of dementia ( Wells, 1979). It is a disorder that arises as a consequence of more than 15 different types of diseases and injuries that affect the brain, such as neurodegenerative and neurological diseases, vascular disorders and traumatic lesions ( Markowitsch and Staniloiu, 2012). Amnesia refers to a deficit of memory due to a specific cause.
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