Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS
Content archived on 2024-06-18

Hippocampal-prefrontal synaptic transmission in cognitive function

Objective

Neural circuitry underlies human behavior in all of its forms. High-level ‘Executive’ regions such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are the subject of particular interest as functional imaging, electrophysiological, and post-mortem studies have shown cellular and neurophysiological abnormalities in these regions associated with psychiatric disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, mood disorders, and addiction). The prefrontal cortex is one of the most highly interconnected regions of the brain, integrating inputs from widespread cortical and subcortical regions and transmitting information to an equally diverse set of targets. Major sources of synaptic input into the PFC include the thalamus and the hippocampus, which convey sensory, contextual and spatial information to be processed in the PFC and guide decision making and goal-directed behavior. A direct synaptic connection between the ventral hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex has been proposed to subserve the synchronization of activity between these two regions in defined behavioral states. Recent studies have indicated that the organization of PFC neurons that receive direct hippocampal input might support the entrainment of PFC activity to hippocampal theta oscillations. The goal of this proposal is to identify the prefrontal neuron population which receives direct hippocampal input and test the contribution of these neurons to cognitive processing and emotional states. Using an innovative combination of imaging approaches, electrophysiology and optogenetic techniques, we will first quantify the functional properties of hippocampal-prefrontal synapses and then examine the effects of neuromodulation on the properties of these synapses. Finally, through trans-synaptic labeling we will directly manipulate the activity of cells receiving monosynaptic hippocampal input and test the hypothesis that hippocampal-prefrontal theta phase-locking plays an important role in cognitive processing.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MC-CIG - Support for training and career development of researcher (CIG)

Coordinator

WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE
EU contribution
€ 100 000,00
Address
HERZL STREET 234
7610001 Rehovot
Israel

See on map

Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data
My booklet 0 0