UE Synaptic Plasticity of the adult nervous system

Synaptic Plasticity of the adult nervous system
The 3h lectures are given by specialists of the field working in Grenoble or in foreign
universities.
After this module, the students should be able to:
-Recapitulate the basic cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory
as well as those compromised in neurodegenerative diseases.
-Apprehend the state-of-the art methods allowing studies of synaptic plasticity both in vitro
and in vivo.
-Explain experimental strategies used in a scientific study, analyze and discuss the results.

Weekly lecture topics
1) Electrophysiology principles
2) Ion channels and neuronal excitability: physiology, pathology and exploration
3) Fluorescence Microscopy in Neurosciences
4) “From tripartite synapse to tripartite network : light from electron microscopy"4) Short and
long term plasticity phenomenon
5) Maturation of the hippocampal network
6) Connectivity and role of inhibitory circuits
7) How a neurotrophin changes adult synapses.
8) Neuronal cytoskeleton: from axogenesis to synaptic transmission 9) Cytoskeleton and
Memory: molecular insights
10) From actin assembly to neuronal assemblies: physical supports
of the memory trace
11) Training on article presentation by students 1
12) Training on article presentation by students 2

Details of assignments and Grading breakdown:
Article presentation by students 1 (20%)
Article presentation by students 2 (80%)

After this module, the students should be able to:

1. Recapitulate the basic cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory as well as those compromised in neurodegenerative diseases.
2. Apprehend the state-of-the art methods allowing studies of synaptic plasticity both in vitro and in vivo.
3. Explain experimental strategies used in a scientific study, analyze and discuss the results.