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Donna L Korol1, Paul E Gold, Claire J Scavuzzo
1Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York.
Hippocampus
|September 3, 2013
Summary
Physical and mental activities enhance learning and memory by boosting brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling. This mechanism explains how cognitive priming improves memory performance in adults and older individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Neurobiology
Background:
- The adult brain exhibits significant structural and functional plasticity.
- Enriching experiences, including physical and mental activities, induce changes in learning and memory.
- Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key molecule in experience-dependent brain plasticity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence for cognitive priming through physical and mental exercise.
- To investigate BDNF signaling as a neural mechanism for cognitive priming.
- To examine how priming affects hippocampus-sensitive and striatum-sensitive memory tasks.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on cognitive priming and memory systems.
- Experimental investigation using voluntary exercise and a working memory task (spontaneous alternation) for priming.
- Pharmacological manipulation of BDNF signaling in the hippocampus and striatum before memory task training.
Main Results:
- Both voluntary exercise and spontaneous alternation (working memory task) enhanced subsequent learning of place (hippocampus-sensitive) and response (striatum-sensitive) tasks.
- Inhibiting BDNF receptor signaling in the hippocampus or striatum blocked the learning enhancements from priming.
- The benefits of priming were abrogated irrespective of the priming type when BDNF signaling was blocked.
Conclusions:
- Enhanced BDNF signaling during learning is a critical mechanism underlying the cognitive benefits of physical and mental activity.
- BDNF plays a crucial role in mediating the positive effects of cognitive priming on memory consolidation.
- These findings support the role of BDNF in adult brain plasticity and cognitive enhancement.
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