My current project is to investigate how stress
reduces hippocampal volume of the rat. Stress has been shown to
impair memory in humans and animals. It is known that the
hippocampus is critical to form episodic memory. Thus, it is
possible that stress impairs the structure and function of the
hippocampus.
Recent studies have reported that stress induces hippocampal atrophy in
humans. However, human studies do not permit pre-stress vs.
post-stress comparisons of morphology. Thus, my goal is to
conduct a longitudinal study employing rats and magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) technology to test the hypothesis that exposures to
chronic stress produce change in hippocampal volume.
Specifically, the hippocampus will be imaged before and after stress
experience in rats.
In addition, I am working on a project to investigate
the brain
activations related to learning and memory in the rat using a
functional MRI technique. Although a considerable amount of
imaging studies have revealed the correlation between brain responses
and learning tasks, it is not clear how the separate brain regions
contribute to the task. Because the imaging technique alone does
not provide an effective way to dissociate specific roles of separate
brain regions, I plan to employ various brain manipulation techniques
(e.g., lesion, inactivation, manipulation of protein synthesis, etc)
along with the imaging technique. I believe combined techniques
will contribute to better understanding of the brain mechanism of
learning and memory
