人类永久记忆的秘密已发现
路透社纽约健康消息 科学家首次确认了大脑内有一种蛋白在将短期记忆转变成长期记忆的过程中担当着必不可少的角色，这种蛋白被称为α-CaMKII蛋白。
洛杉矶加州大学研究员用老鼠来做实验，这种老鼠体内的α-CaMKII蛋白质只有正常老鼠的一半。结果发现，缺乏α-CaMKII蛋白的老鼠学习能力与正常老鼠一样，但却遗忘得非常快。用测量大脑电活动的复杂方法发现，这些老鼠脑内与记忆发展相关的电活动常常有中断。这些中断都发生在大脑皮层而不是海马回。由此可以推测，完全缺失α-CaMKII蛋白就会导致学习和记忆障碍。
初始信息的获得发生在大脑的海马回，这些初始信息经过大脑皮层的巩固以后就会变成永久记忆。科学家用这种老鼠模型区分出海马回上的短期学习功能区与大脑皮层上的永久记忆功能区。
这项研究在细胞和分子水平上揭示了人类记忆的神秘过程，包括大脑是如何建立和保存记忆的，如何使之变成永久记忆，这对研究记忆来说是非常重要的。由于该研究的发现，现在科学家已经知道脑内永久记忆形成的位置和机制，这对今后研究如何治疗记忆丧失非常重要。
, 百拇医药
来源：《自然》2001;411:309-313,248-249
Mystery of Permanent Memory Revealed
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For the first time, scientists have identified a protein in the brain that is required for turning short-term memories into permanent ones.
Initial learning takes place in one part of the brain, the hippocampus, but these first experiences become permanent memories only after reinforcement in the brain‘s outermost layer, the cortex, according to Dr. Alcino J. Silva from the University of California at Los Angeles and associates.
, 百拇医药
Until now, little was known about the processes involved in making that translation.
The authors tested mice that had only half the normal levels of a protein called alpha-CaMKII. The total absence of this protein results in learning and memory problems. The model they used enabled the scientists to separate the short-term learning functions of the hippocampus from the permanent memory functions of the cortex.
Mice with less alpha-CaMKII learned tasks as well as normal mice, the authors report in the May 17th issue of Nature, but--unlike normal mice--they forgot the tasks within a few days. The timing of this memory loss, they say, matches the shift in the memory function from the hippocampus to the cortex.
, 百拇医药
Using sophisticated measurements of the electrical activity of the brain, the researchers also showed that mice deficient in alpha-CaMKII have disruptions in the type of activity usually associated with the development of memories. Again, these disruptions were present in the cortex, but not in the hippocampus.
``We have uncovered new insights into the function of this protein (it is involved in the formation of permanent memories in the cortex), but our work also speaks to the sites and mechanisms required to establish permanent memories in the brain,‘‘ Silva told Reuters Health. ``This information will be essential to design therapies to memory disorders.‘‘
, 百拇医药
``Our article reports the first molecular and cellular information into one of memory‘s most mysterious processes: how we establish the memories that the brain retains, the ones that become our oldest memories,‘‘ Silva concluded. ``These are very specific (and hopefully important) clues into this mysterious and wonderful process.‘‘
SOURCE: Nature 2001;411:309-313,248-249., 百拇医药
洛杉矶加州大学研究员用老鼠来做实验，这种老鼠体内的α-CaMKII蛋白质只有正常老鼠的一半。结果发现，缺乏α-CaMKII蛋白的老鼠学习能力与正常老鼠一样，但却遗忘得非常快。用测量大脑电活动的复杂方法发现，这些老鼠脑内与记忆发展相关的电活动常常有中断。这些中断都发生在大脑皮层而不是海马回。由此可以推测，完全缺失α-CaMKII蛋白就会导致学习和记忆障碍。
初始信息的获得发生在大脑的海马回，这些初始信息经过大脑皮层的巩固以后就会变成永久记忆。科学家用这种老鼠模型区分出海马回上的短期学习功能区与大脑皮层上的永久记忆功能区。
这项研究在细胞和分子水平上揭示了人类记忆的神秘过程，包括大脑是如何建立和保存记忆的，如何使之变成永久记忆，这对研究记忆来说是非常重要的。由于该研究的发现，现在科学家已经知道脑内永久记忆形成的位置和机制，这对今后研究如何治疗记忆丧失非常重要。
, 百拇医药
来源：《自然》2001;411:309-313,248-249
Mystery of Permanent Memory Revealed
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For the first time, scientists have identified a protein in the brain that is required for turning short-term memories into permanent ones.
Initial learning takes place in one part of the brain, the hippocampus, but these first experiences become permanent memories only after reinforcement in the brain‘s outermost layer, the cortex, according to Dr. Alcino J. Silva from the University of California at Los Angeles and associates.
, 百拇医药
Until now, little was known about the processes involved in making that translation.
The authors tested mice that had only half the normal levels of a protein called alpha-CaMKII. The total absence of this protein results in learning and memory problems. The model they used enabled the scientists to separate the short-term learning functions of the hippocampus from the permanent memory functions of the cortex.
Mice with less alpha-CaMKII learned tasks as well as normal mice, the authors report in the May 17th issue of Nature, but--unlike normal mice--they forgot the tasks within a few days. The timing of this memory loss, they say, matches the shift in the memory function from the hippocampus to the cortex.
, 百拇医药
Using sophisticated measurements of the electrical activity of the brain, the researchers also showed that mice deficient in alpha-CaMKII have disruptions in the type of activity usually associated with the development of memories. Again, these disruptions were present in the cortex, but not in the hippocampus.
``We have uncovered new insights into the function of this protein (it is involved in the formation of permanent memories in the cortex), but our work also speaks to the sites and mechanisms required to establish permanent memories in the brain,‘‘ Silva told Reuters Health. ``This information will be essential to design therapies to memory disorders.‘‘
, 百拇医药
``Our article reports the first molecular and cellular information into one of memory‘s most mysterious processes: how we establish the memories that the brain retains, the ones that become our oldest memories,‘‘ Silva concluded. ``These are very specific (and hopefully important) clues into this mysterious and wonderful process.‘‘
SOURCE: Nature 2001;411:309-313,248-249., 百拇医药