title: Spatial memory, plasticity and nucleus accumbens.
abstract: Research on the function of the nucleus accumbens, the most ventral component of the striatal complex, has traditionally focused on locomotor activity, reward, motivation and addiction. However, based on the existence of projections to the nucleus accumbens from the allocortical regions involved in spatial navigation, it has been suggested that this structure plays a role in spatial learning and memory. Lesion and neuropharmacological studies confirm this view, also revealing the complex dynamics of the receptors involved in these processes. Moreover, the effects of post-training intra-nucleus accumbens drug administrations demonstrate the necessity of off-line neural activity within this structure in order to consolidate spatial memory. Blockade of molecular processes implicated in synaptic plasticity, such as cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB)-induced transcription or extracellular matrix remodeling, provides further experimental support to this hypothesis. These observations imply that experience-dependent synaptic plasticity responsible for long-term stabilization of spatial information might occur within the nucleus accumbens, similarly to what has been observed in the hippocampus. This suggests that a comprehensive understanding of spatial memory processing should be viewed in the context of a wider neural circuit.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie, Sapienza Universita di Roma, Rome, ltalia.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oliverio
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mele
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors