Originally published November 7 2005
UT scientists take a closer look at the effect of learning on neurons
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Neuroscientists at The University of Texas at Austin have identified certain large-scale changes that occur within neurons while the brain is engaged in learning activities.
The research, published online Oct. 23 and in the November issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience, shows that ion channels distributed in the dendritic membrane change during a simulated learning task and that this requires the rapid production of new proteins.
"Our new work strongly supports the idea that learning involves changes in dendrites," says Dr. Daniel Johnston, director of the Center for Learning and Memory and professor in the Institute for Neuroscience.
Dendrites--the thin branch-like extensions of a neuron cell--receive many inputs from other neurons that transmit information through contact points called synapses.
They found that h-channels, which are distributed throughout the dendrite membrane and allow the passage of potassium and sodium ions into and out of the neuron, are altered during learning.
"The h-channels undergo plasticity, not near the synapse but probably throughout the dendritic tree," says Johnston.
To record the changes during learning, cells from the rat hippocampus (an important area of the brain for short-term memory) were electrically stimulated using a high frequency pattern called theta-bursts.
Theta-bursts mimic the electrical stimulus that shoots through neurons when animals perform a learning task.
The researchers found that when stimulated with theta-bursts, hippocampus neurons showed h-channel plasticity and a rapid increase in the synthesis of h-channel proteins.
Learning and memory researchers know that protein synthesis in neurons is related to long-term memory, because protein synthesis inhibitors block long-term memory in animals.
He has a working hypothesis that h-channels may help buffer receiving neurons from being barraged and over-stimulated by inputs coming from information transmitting neurons.
H-channel plasticity may normalize the firing rate of the cell.
"If cells aren't kept in a normal operating regime, learning would not be as effective," Johnston says.
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