Repetitive motor learning induces coordinated formation of clustered dendritic spines in vivo.

ABSTRACT: Many lines of evidence suggest that memory in the mammalian brain is stored with distinct spatiotemporal patterns. Despite recent progresses in identifying neuronal populations involved in memory coding, the synapse-level mechanism is still poorly understood. Computational models and electrophysiological data have shown that functional clustering of synapses along dendritic branches leads to nonlinear summation of synaptic inputs and greatly expands the computing power of a neural network. However, whether neighbouring synapses are involved in encoding similar memory and how task-specific cortical networks develop during learning remain elusive. Using transcranial two-photon microscopy, we followed apical dendrites of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the motor cortex while mice practised novel

SUBMITTER: Fu M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3292711 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature