Functional and structural underpinnings of neuronal assembly formation in learning

Holtmaat, Anthony; Caroni, Pico

doi:10.1038/nn.4418

Scientific article

English

Functional and structural underpinnings of neuronal assembly formation in learning

Contributors

Holtmaat, Anthony

; Caroni, Pico

Published in

Nature neuroscience, vol. 19, no. 12, p. 1553-1562

Publication date

2016

Abstract

Learning and memory are associated with the formation and modification of neuronal assemblies: populations of neurons that encode what has been learned and mediate memory retrieval upon recall. Functional studies of neuronal assemblies have progressed dramatically thanks to recent technological advances. Here we discuss how a focus on assembly formation and consolidation has provided a powerful conceptual framework to relate mechanistic studies of synaptic and circuit plasticity to behaviorally relevant aspects of learning and memory. Neurons are likely recruited to particular learning-related assemblies as a function of their relative excitabilities and synaptic activation, followed by selective strengthening of pre-existing synapses, formation of new connections and elimination of outcompeted synapses to ensure memory formation. Mechanistically, these processes involve linking transcription to circuit modification. They include the expression of immediate early genes and specific molecular and cellular events, supported by network-wide activities that are shaped and modulated by local inhibitory microcircuits.

UNIGE affiliation entities

Faculté de médecine / Section de médecine fondamentale / Département de neurosciences fondamentales

UNIGE research groups

Les circuits neuronaux dans le néocortex des mammifères (855)

Citation (ISO format)

HOLTMAAT, Anthony, CARONI, Pico. Functional and structural underpinnings of neuronal assembly formation in learning. In: Nature neuroscience, 2016, vol. 19, n° 12, p. 1553–1562. doi: 10.1038/nn.4418

Article (Published version)

Identifiers

PID : unige:89767
DOI : 10.1038/nn.4418
PMID : 27749830

Journal ISSN

1097-6256

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24/10/2016 14:11:00

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15/03/2023 01:03:53

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31/10/2024 05:21:50

Functional and structural underpinnings of neuronal assembly formation in learning

Contributors

Published in

Publication date

Abstract

UNIGE affiliation entities

UNIGE research groups

Citation (ISO format)

Main files (1)

Identifiers

Journal ISSN

Technical informations

Creation

First validation

Update

Status update

Last indexation