What is it about?
This research demonstrates that treatment of aged rats with levetiracetam and valproic acid at sub-therapeutic doses attenuates age-related pyramidal place cell hyperactivity while increasing spatial information content per spike and decreasing place field area.
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Why is it important?
These findings implicate hyperactivity and decreased firing specificity of place cells in the age-related memory deficits observed in a rat model of age-related mild cognitive impairment ( aMCI) seen in humans. We subsequently demonstrated (Ratner et al., Heliyon 2021) that acute pharmacological induction of hyperactivity in young adult rats does not promote place cell firing deficits demonstrating an important functional difference between the effects of acute pharmacologic versus chronic neuropathological hyperactivity.
Perspectives
This work represents the first in a series of publications from our laboratory aimed at elucidating the role of hippocampal hyperactive in aMCI and Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Marcia H. Ratner
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
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This page is a summary of: Combined administration of levetiracetam and valproic acid attenuates age-related hyperactivity of CA3 place cells, reduces place field area, and increases spatial information content in aged rat hippocampus, Hippocampus, July 2015, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22474.
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