Objective
Our memories are arguably what make us who we are, making dementia a particularly cruel disease. Decades of research have revealed that two interconnected brain regions, the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and hippocampus (HP), are required for successful spatial memory formation in mammals. Each region contains specialized neurons that fire relative to the animal`s position in physical space: grid cells in the MEC have regularly-repeating spatial firing fields throughout the entire environment (“grid field”); and place cells in the CA1 region of the HP fire at a particular location within an environment (“place field”). Spatial information from the MEC grid cells reaches CA1 place cells in two ways: through an (1) indirect pathway (IP) via layer II MEC neurons, or a (2) direct pathway (DP) via the layer III MEC neurons. Thus, hippocampal neurons compare processed and unprocessed input. However, the relative roles of these two kinds of input onto hippocampal firing patterns remains elusive, largely due to the difficulty in performing layer-specific manipulations. The Kentros lab at NTNU has developed a novel and exciting genetic technology that makes such experiments possible. Therefore, I propose to conduct in vivo electrophysiological recordings in CA1 while manipulating the DP to determine the effects of direct MEC input on hippocampal network dynamics. I will then investigate the behavioral ramifications of manipulating the DP on spatial task performance. Interestingly, the superficial layers of entorhinal cortex are the first brain area to exhibit the pathological signs of Alzheimer`s Disease (AD) in patients. Therefore, I will compare the relative roles of entorhinal layer II and III neuron activity in the progression of pathology in a preclinical mouse model of AD. Thus, this proposal will provide insight into how the distinct circuit elements of the entorhinal cortex contribute to place field formation, memory performance, and disease progression.
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.
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.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology neurodegenerative diseases dementia
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pathology
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
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.
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.
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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2017
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
7491 Trondheim
Norway
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.