Sex differences in synaptic plasticity and memory
Theme: Learning, Memory and Cognition
Since the Nineties sophisticated transgenic mouse approaches have been applied to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of synaptic plasticity as well as behavioural memory. For cost effectiveness these studies use males and females and frequently have not found sex differences in the phenotypes. However, this was not always the case, as some unexpected sex-specific roles were identified. Some of these findings are nicely summarized in Mizuno & Giese, TINS, 2010. In this symposium we want to present some of the evidences for fundamental sex differences in synaptic plasticity and memory followed by a discussion of the implications. The proposed symposium will be of 4 talks:
1) Professor Kevin Fox from Cardiff University will talk about 'Differences in the role of nitric oxide synthase in synaptic plasticity in males and females'. Some of the presented results have been published by Prof. Fox's lab in the Journal of Neuroscience (Dachtler et al., 2012).
2) Dr. Keiko Mizuno from King's College London will talk about 'Sex difference in gene transcription during memory consolidation'. Dr Mizuno has identified male- and female-specific gene transcription in the mouse hippocampus during memory consolidation. Accordingly, she has shown that a particular transcription block impairs LTM in one sex but not in the other. Some of her work is summarized in the above mentioned TINS review.
3) Dr Judith ter Horst from the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands will talk about 'Targeting fear memory via beta-adrenergic receptors differs in male and female mice.' Some of her work has been published in EJN in 2012 (ter Horst et al.)
4) Professor Richard Brown from Dalhousie University, Canada will talk about 'Sex differences in the behaviour of mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Professor Brown has extensive expertise with studies of mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and his talk will point to interesting mechanistic ideas for understanding the gender differences in the memory disorder.
Speakers
- Chair: Professor Karl Peter Giese, King's College London, London, UK
- Differences in the role of nitric oxide in synaptic plasticity in males and females - Professor Kevin Fox, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- Sex differences in gene transcription during memory consolidation - Dr Keiko Mizuno, King's College London, London, UK
- Targeting fear memory via beta-adrenergic receptors differs in male and female mice. - Dr Judith ter Horst, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Sex differences in the behaviour of mouse models of Alzheimer's Disease - Professor Richard Brown, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
If your organisation would like to sponsor this symposium, please contact the BNA 2015: Festival of Neuroscience Exhibition Manager on or by email to . Click here for further details
