title: Molecular and cellular cognitive studies of the role of synaptic plasticity in memory.
abstract: Synaptic plasticity has a central role in nearly all models of learning and memory. Besides experiments documenting changes in synaptic function during learning, most of the evidence supporting a role for synaptic plasticity in memory comes from manipulations that either enhance or lesion synaptic processes. In the last decade, mouse transgenetics (knock outs and transgenics) have provided compelling evidence that the molecular mechanisms responsible for the induction and stability of synaptic changes have a critical role in the acquisition and storage of information. Here, I will review this literature, with a special focus on studies of hippocampal-dependent learning and memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 695 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. silvaa@ucla.edu
authors.forename: Alcino J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified / Q000502:physiology; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011953:Receptors, Cyclic AMP / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011953:Receptors, Cyclic AMP; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases