Saturday, February 16, 2013
Room 304 (Hynes Convention Center)
Synaptic plasticity is a widely employed brain mechanism that shapes the response of neural
circuits to experience. When functioning normally, synaptic plasticity contributes to learning,
memory and adaptive behavioral responses, whereas its corruption can lead to learning
disorders and problem behaviors. In this talk, the significance of synaptic plasticity within the
basal ganglia circuitry will be discussed. Specific examples from animal models demonstrating
how synaptic plasticity is disrupted in compulsive behavioral disorders will be provided, as well
as how new approaches for imaging brain activity can be used to define the circuit basis for
disease and predict novel treatments.
circuits to experience. When functioning normally, synaptic plasticity contributes to learning,
memory and adaptive behavioral responses, whereas its corruption can lead to learning
disorders and problem behaviors. In this talk, the significance of synaptic plasticity within the
basal ganglia circuitry will be discussed. Specific examples from animal models demonstrating
how synaptic plasticity is disrupted in compulsive behavioral disorders will be provided, as well
as how new approaches for imaging brain activity can be used to define the circuit basis for
disease and predict novel treatments.