Cognition, Behavior, and Memory
Author: Karina Hernandez | Email: kmercado@leloir.org.ar
Karina Hernández1°, Lucila Feingold1°,Emilio Kropff1°
1° Physiology and Algorithms of the Brain, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET
The dentate gyrus of the hippocampus is a unique brain region that exhibits new adult born neurons (ABN) in both mice and humans. ABN is thought to be crucial for generating independent representations of similar experiences, through a process called pattern separation. The new ABN undergo various maturation stages, each of which has a distinct impact on the hippocampal circuit. Despite accumulating evidence highlighting the importance of new ABN in pattern separation, the precise role of distinct maturation cohorts remains unclear. In this project, we aim to address two main questions: 1) How do diverse maturation cohorts contribute to the encoding or retrieval of behaviorally similar contextual experiences? 2) What environmental information do they encode, and how do they use it to implement a pattern separation algorithm? To answer the first question, we will employ a chemogenetic strategy to silence new ABN at different maturation stages while they perform a pattern separation task with objects. This approach will help us identify the maturation stages in which new ABN contribute significantly to discriminating between similar memories. To address the second question, we will use calcium imaging to record in vivo the activity of new ABN engaged in the tasks, in particular in relation to where objects are positioned. This methodology will provide insights into the environmental cues encoded by these ABN and their role in cognition.