Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Role of Hippocampus in Memory01:19

Role of Hippocampus in Memory

The hippocampus, a critical brain structure, plays an essential role in memory processing, particularly in the formation and retrieval of memory. This small, seahorse-shaped region is located within the medial temporal lobe, with one hippocampus in each brain hemisphere. Experimental studies involving lesions in the hippocampi of rats have demonstrated significant impairments in tasks such as object recognition and maze navigation, indicating the hippocampus involvement in both recognition and...
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators01:18

Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators

γ-aminobutyric acid or GABA, plays a pivotal role as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA pathway potentiators, also known as GABAergic drugs, are a class of pharmaceutical agents designed to enhance the functioning of the GABAergic system. These medications primarily treat epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures.
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for their...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Inpatient and post-discharge thromboembolic events in inflammatory bowel disease patients: a 13 year retrospective cohort study at a tertiary Centre.

Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology·2026
Same author

Low Yield of Surveillance Endoscopy in Severe Oesophagitis: A 1700-Patient Retrospective Cohort Study.

Digestive diseases and sciences·2025
Same author

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN GLYCATED HEMOGLOBIN AND ELEVATED THYROID HORMONES LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS.

Georgian medical news·2025
Same author

Who let the dogs out? A 10-year review of maxillofacial dog bite injuries.

The British journal of oral & maxillofacial surgery·2024
Same author

Management of type 2 diabetes in New Zealand: a scoping review of interventions with measurable clinical outcomes.

Public health·2024
Same author

Exploring the dynamics of human scent in forensic canine analysis: Factors shaping identification accuracy.

Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology
14:57

Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology

Published on: March 23, 2011

Valproic acid reduces spatial working memory and cell proliferation in the hippocampus.

J Umka1, S Mustafa, M ElBeltagy

  • 1School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Nottingham Medical School, Queen's Medical Center, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK. mbxju@nottingham.ac.uk

Neuroscience
|December 17, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Valproic acid (VPA), used as an anticonvulsant, impairs spatial memory in rats by reducing hippocampal neurogenesis. This cognitive deficit is linked to decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and Notch 1 levels.

More Related Videos

Generalized Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI) Analysis of Memory Related Connectivity in Individuals at Genetic Risk for Alzheimer's Disease
09:38

Generalized Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI) Analysis of Memory Related Connectivity in Individuals at Genetic Risk for Alzheimer's Disease

Published on: November 14, 2017

Immunohistochemical Visualization of Hippocampal Neuron Activity After Spatial Learning in a Mouse Model of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
07:43

Immunohistochemical Visualization of Hippocampal Neuron Activity After Spatial Learning in a Mouse Model of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Published on: May 12, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology
14:57

Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology

Published on: March 23, 2011

Generalized Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI) Analysis of Memory Related Connectivity in Individuals at Genetic Risk for Alzheimer's Disease
09:38

Generalized Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI) Analysis of Memory Related Connectivity in Individuals at Genetic Risk for Alzheimer's Disease

Published on: November 14, 2017

Immunohistochemical Visualization of Hippocampal Neuron Activity After Spatial Learning in a Mouse Model of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
07:43

Immunohistochemical Visualization of Hippocampal Neuron Activity After Spatial Learning in a Mouse Model of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Published on: May 12, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Valproic acid (VPA) is a widely prescribed anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer.
  • VPA is known to inhibit histone deacetylase enzymes, impacting cell proliferation.
  • Cognitive impairments have been reported in patients using VPA.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between VPA, cognitive function, and cell proliferation in the hippocampus.
  • To explore the potential mechanism underlying VPA-induced cognitive deficits.

Main Methods:

  • Rats were treated with VPA via intraperitoneal injection.
  • Cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus subgranular zone was assessed.
  • Hippocampus-dependent spatial memory was tested using the novel object location task.
  • Levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Notch 1, and doublecortin were measured.

Main Results:

  • VPA treatment significantly reduced cell proliferation in the hippocampus.
  • Impaired performance in the spatial memory test was observed in VPA-treated rats.
  • VPA caused a significant reduction in hippocampal BDNF and Notch 1 levels.

Conclusions:

  • VPA may induce cognitive impairment by reducing hippocampal neurogenesis.
  • Decreased neurogenesis and altered neurotrophic factor levels are potential mechanisms for VPA's cognitive side effects.