Development of the magnetic resonance imaging techniques to estimate morphological plasticity in the neuronal circuits associated with memory traces

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K01834
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Basic / Social brain science
• Research Institution: Fukushima Medical University (2017-2018); Tohoku University (2015-2016)
• Principal Investigator: Abe Mitsunari 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (60588515)
• Research Collaborator: Takano Yuji
• Project Period (FY): 2015-10-21 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 記憶 / 神経可塑性 / 核磁気共鳴法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Learning induces consolidation of memory. Remodeling of the anatomical architectures in the neuronal circuits occurs during the process of memory consolidation. It is called memory traces. Memory traces are embedded in the whole brain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique to estimate microscopic anatomical structures of the whole brain. We examined if MRI can work as a probe to estimate memory traces. We had rats trained a spatial memory task. We scanned the rat brains before and after the task session. We found change in MRI signals in the hippocampus after the task session. Notably, these changes predicted performance of the memory task after the 1-week interval. These results indicates that the change in MRI signals might be associated with remodeling of the neuronal circuits related with memory.

Free Research Field

システム神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

我々は、長期記憶の痕跡と関係したMRI変化を捉えた。今回の研究で開発した動物実験系を用いて、MRI変化と神経回路の形態変化との関係性を調べる予定である。この研究成果は、記憶の痕跡を可視化するMRI技術に生物学的根拠を与える次の研究の礎となる。当初の提案では、電磁気脳刺激の治療効果をMRI技術で捉える事を目的にしていた。神経可塑性は治療効果の下位基盤となる。今回の成果は提案当初の目的達成にも通じる。