Title:Aberrant Neuronal Activity and Dysfunctional Connectivity in Aβ<sub>1–42</sub>- mediated Memory Deficits in Rats
VOLUME: 12 ISSUE: 10
Author(s):Jing Wei, Hu Yi, Dan Zhang, Wenwen Bai and Xin Tian
Affiliation:School of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Road, Tianjin 300070, China.
Keywords:Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), functional connectivity, neuronal ensemble activity, rat,
working memory.
Abstract:Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that gradually induces cognitive
deficit. Working memory deficits have been previously reported in AD and Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) is
regarded as a causative factor for the impairments. Accumulating evidence has identified that neuronal
ensemble activity as well as functional connectivity among neurons encode and process information in
normal brain. How Aβ contributes to the abnormal neuronal ensemble activity and corresponding
functional connectivity which, in turn, leads to the cognitive deficits? To address the issue, we simultaneously
recorded neuronal activity from medial prefrontal cortex of rats (control and Aβ injected
group) when the rats performed a Y-maze working memory task, to investigate the properties of neuronal
ensemble activity and functional connectivity. In the control group, a group of neurons were collectively activated
and the connectivity among the neurons strengthened during the working memory task. However, in the Aβ group, the
neuronal activity and connectivity never experience significant change. Our results indicate that the dysfunction of neuronal
activity and connectivity may provide insight for the Aβ-induced working memory deficits.
