Some studies of memory in China

The study of memory trace is one of the most interesting subjects in the area of physiopsychology. In the early part of this century the Russian physiologist Pavlov and the American psychologist Leshley had a long interchange about the localization of the memory trace. In the last 20 years research in this area has been facilitated by the development of new techniques that have enabled current investigators to take new approaches to memory studies. The study of memory has attracted more and more attention and has also become a subject of common interest to physiologists, biochemists, pharmacologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists. At the end of the 1970&#39;s Chinese researchers started to study memory, and have been conducting experimental neuropsychology. This chapter discusses the neural basis of memory and biochemical events mediating the formation of memory, and then covers lateralization of hemisphere advantage and memory, the role of the hippocampus in learning and memory, and the relation of neurotransmitters to memory processes.</span

Huperzine A reverses scopolamine- and muscimol-induced memory deficits in chick

AIM: To study the effects of huperzine A on disruption of spatial memory induced by scopolamine (a muscarinic antagonist) and muscimol (a GABA(A) agonist) in passive avoidance task. METHODS: One-trial passive avoidance task was used to investigate the effects of huperzine A. The avoidance rate was used to evaluate memory retention. RESULTS: Both scopolamine (100 ng)and muscimol (50 ng), injected intracranially 5 min before training, resulted in a decreased avoidance rate. Huperzine A (25 ng), injected intracranially 15 min before training, reversed memory deficits induced by scopolamine and muscimol at 30 min after training, and this reversal persisted at least 1 h. The improving effects of huperzine A exhibited a bell-shaped dose-response curve. CONCLUSION: Huperzine A improved the process of memory formation not only by acting as a highly potent and selective inhibitor of AChE, but also by antagonizing effects mediated through the GABA(A) receptor

Neural cell adhesion molecules and memory.

Synaptic plasticity is involved in the process of memory formation. It's proved that neural cell adhesion molecules play an important role both in promoting synaptic plasticity and keeping the synaptic stability. Many evidences have been showed that neural cell adhesion molecules can regulate some process in association with learning and memory

Reversed effects of RU486 and anisomycin on memory retention of light exposure or corticosterone facilitation in the dark-incubated chicks

Memory formation for a weak passive avoidance task in the dark-incubated chicks is facilitated by light exposure or corticosterone administration at optimally pre-hatch time points. To explore the potential mechanisms underlying activation of brain memory function development by light or corticosterone exposure during late embryo, steroid receptor antagonist RU486, or protein synthetic inhibitor anisomycin, was administered intraembryonically to the embryos of either only 24-h light-exposure or complete dark-hatched on embryonic day 20 (E20). The results showed that RU486 and anisomycin significantly retarded the facilitated retention both by light and corticosterone exposure in the dark-incubated chicks. They also suggest that the act of corticosterone or light exposure on the development of brain memory function is mediated by the effect of steroid receptor, or afterward on related protein syntheses that is involved in memory formation of post-hatched performance of day-old chicks.Memory formation for a weak passive avoidance task in the dark-incubated chicks is facilitated by light exposure or corticosterone administration at optimally pre-hatch time points. To explore the potential mechanisms underlying activation of brain memory function development by light or corticosterone exposure during late embryo, steroid receptor antagonist RU486, or protein synthetic inhibitor anisomycin, was administered intraembryonically to the embryos of either only 24-h light-exposure or complete dark-hatched on embryonic day 20 (E20). The results showed that RU486 and anisomycin significantly retarded the facilitated retention both by light and corticosterone exposure in the dark-incubated chicks. They also suggest that the act of corticosterone or light exposure on the development of brain memory function is mediated by the effect of steroid receptor, or afterward on related protein syntheses that is involved in memory formation of post-hatched performance of day-old chicks

雏鸡单眼学习与脑内阿片肽类含量的相关研究

Studied the correlation between the opioid peptide: Leu-enkephalin (L-Enk), &Beta;-endorphin (&Beta;-End), and dynorphin (Dyn) in the brain and the monocular learning of 1-day-old chicks. 44 male 1-day-old chicks were divided into a learning group (LG, 20 Ss), a nonlearning group (NLG, 12 Ss), and a control group (CG, 12 Ss). Ss in LG and NLG had 1-trial taste avoidance training and/or memory test after 24-hr left-eye vision deprivation. The levels of L-Enk, &Beta;-End, and Dyn were measured with radioimmunoassay. The results show (1) that after left-eye vision deprivation in NLG, the &Beta;-End level increased; the Dyn level decreased; the L-Enk level was similar to that of CG; and (2) that after the training in LG, the &Beta;-End level reduced and the Dyn level increased to similar levels of CG; the Dyn level of the right hemisphere was even higher than that of NLG; the L-Enk level had no difference to other groups, and the L-Enk level of the right hemisphere was higher than the left hemisphere. The study concludes that stress caused by depriving left-eye vision is an important factor in memory impairment; that monocular learning helps a new balance of the opioid peptide; and that L-Enk, &Beta;-End, and Dyn participate in the process of learning and memory.</span