ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY CORE

University Of North Texas Hlth Sci Ctr, Fort Worth TX

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The purpose of the Electrophysiology Core is to conduct long-term potentiation recording experiments for all projects of this program. Long-term potentiation (LTP), an enhancement of synaptic transmission following high frequency stimulation, is believed to be the cellular basis of learning and memory. The mechanism of LTP has been studied widely in the hippocampal CA1 area, and many studies have demonstrated that efficacy of LTP consistently correlates with assessments of learning and memory/ cognitive function. Thus, the Electrophysiology Core will conduct LTP experiments to provide a functional assessment of cognitive function, and how it may be influenced with conditions and interventions tested in the projects. The Electrophysiology Core has the following Specific Aims: 1): Conduct hippocampal CA1 long-term potentiation recording experiments for projects 1, 2, 3 and 4. The Electrophysiology Core laboratory has established hippocampal CA1 LTP recording in mice, including those up to 24 months of age (Projects, 1, 3 and 4) and rats (Project 2). The Core will conduct all LTP experiments, analyze all data (in conjunction with the biostatistical component of the Administration Core), and provide results to the relevant Project Director. The Electrophysiology Core Director and Core personnel conducting LTP studies will be blinded to the treatment to which individual animals will have been exposed. 2): Provide an organizational structure for Project Directors to ensure a timely and cost-effective completion of required long-term potentiation studies. The Core Director will oversee overall operations of the Electrophysiology Core. As the Core will be conducting studies for four projects on various age groups of animals, the Core Director will work with Project Directors and Director of the Animal Resources and Behavioral Assessment Core (Core B) to coordinate electrophysiology studies with timings of other endpoints for each Project. The experiments to be conducted by the Electrophysiology Core will assist the Projects of this program in their attempt to discover the adverse changes that occur in the brain with aging, neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease, and injuries such as stroke. Understanding these adverse changes should help us to discover new therapeutics and interventions to treat these conditions.