UE Molecular Bases of the Normal and Pathological Memory

Molecular Bases of the Normal and Pathological Memory
The goal of this course is to apprehend the latest findings about the cellular and molecular
mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and the causes of their impairment in neurodegenerative
diseases with a special emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease.

Weekly lecture topics
I) Membrane potential, Nernst and Goldman Hodgkin Katz equations
2) Synaptic transmission
3) Organization of the glutamatergic and Gabaergic synapses (pre and postsynaptic elements)
4) Short and long term plasticity phenomenon
5)Role of protein kinases in synaptic plasticity 1
6)Role of protein kinases in synaptic plasticity 2
7) Traffic and diffusion of synaptic receptors 1
8)Traffic and diffusion of synaptic receptors 2
9) Cytoskeleton and Memory: molecular insights
10) Adult neural stem cells
11) Engram
12) Genetic and molecular causes of Alzheimer’s disease: presenilin, APP, ApoE.

Details of assignments and Grading breakdown:
Oral article presentations by students (20%)
Description of scientific figures (80%)