Effect of IGF-1 gene therapy on the formation of a contextual fear memory trace

HERRERA M.; COMAS MUTI R.; HEREÑÚ C.; CHAMPARINI LEANDRO; OTAMENDI ANDREA; MOLINA V.; ESPEJO P.; CALFA G.

Córdoba Capital

Congreso; SAN 2018; 2018

Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencias

It is well known that exposure to an aversive experience (traumatic event) generates the development of a negative emotional state. This state is manifested, among other behaviors, by the expression of excessive emotional responses as an increase in fear and anxiety, in a variety of animal models. At the time it has been described a cerebral circuit that is involved in the generation of such emotional state, basolateral amygdala complex (BLA) plays an essential role in the generation of this state. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) would facilitate hippocampal circuits in terms of plasticity and synaptic structure, and participate in neurogenic aspects modifying learning, memory and cognitive functionality. Knowledge of this will allow elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the storage of aversive experiences an understand some psychopathologies related to traumatic memories.1)To promote and evaluate the expression of memory trace through IGF-I gene therapy2)To evaluate if the structural plastic changes in dorsal hippocampus (HD), are responsible for the expression of this memory trace.