Molecular Learning and Memory of Brain Aging

Abstract

This chapter discusses the molecular basis of learning and memory, specifically the Hebbian theory, which suggests that coincident activation of pre- and postsynaptic neurons leads to modifications in synaptic efficacy, creating associative links between the neurons. Memories are stored as alterations of these synaptic changes. The chapter will also discuss three basic assumptions regarding the neurochemical basis of learning and memory, including the requirement for protein synthesis for long-term memory formation, and the storage of memory in synaptic connections. The passage also discusses long-term potentiation (LTP) as the most frequently studied cellular basis of learning and memory in vertebrates, including its properties such as state-dependence, input specificity, and associativity. LTP is considered an analog of memory since it is a long-lasting alteration in neuronal function that results from a brief period of stimulus.