Publications by authors named "Catarina Albergaria"
Article Synopsis
- Associative learning in delay eyeblink conditioning (EBC) relies heavily on the cerebellum, raising questions about how cerebellar nuclei contribute to this learning process.
- Research shows that stimulating mossy fiber inputs can act as a conditioned stimulus, effectively prompting well-timed conditioned responses in mice.
- Structural changes in synaptic inputs occur during EBC, specifically in mossy fibers and inhibitory inputs, which enhance the processing abilities of cerebellar nuclei neurons, thereby supporting learning and adaptive responses.
AMPA receptors (AMPARs) mediate excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system (CNS) and their subunit composition determines synaptic efficacy. Whereas AMPAR subunits GluA1-GluA3 have been linked to particular forms of synaptic plasticity and learning, the functional role of GluA4 remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate a crucial function of GluA4 for synaptic excitation and associative memory formation in the cerebellum.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCannabinoids are notorious and profound modulators of behavioral state. In the brain, endocannabinoids act via Type 1-cannabinoid receptors (CB1) to modulate synaptic transmission and mediate multiple forms of synaptic plasticity. CB1 knockout (CB1KO) mice display a range of behavioral phenotypes, in particular hypoactivity and various deficits in learning and memory, including cerebellum-dependent delay eyeblink conditioning.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChanges in behavioral state can profoundly influence brain function. Here we show that behavioral state modulates performance in delay eyeblink conditioning, a cerebellum-dependent form of associative learning. Increased locomotor speed in head-fixed mice drove earlier onset of learning and trial-by-trial enhancement of learned responses that were dissociable from changes in arousal and independent of sensory modality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Plasmodium falciparum infection can lead to several clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic infections (AM) and uncomplicated malaria (UM) to potentially fatal severe malaria (SM), including cerebral malaria (CM). Factors implicated in the progression towards severe disease are not fully understood.
Methods: In the present study, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to investigate the plasma content of several biomarkers of the immune response, namely Neopterin, sCD163, suPAR, Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), sCD14, Fractalkine (CX3CL1), sTREM-1 and MIG (CXCL9), in patients with distinct clinical manifestations of malaria.
Although the wiring of the cerebellar cortex appears to be uniform, the neurons in this region of the brain behave more differently from each other than previously thought.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Adenosine is a crucial neuromodulator in the brain, influencing various disorders and making its receptors potential targets for new therapies.
- Adenosine receptors, which are a type of G protein-coupled receptor, interact with numerous accessory proteins that affect how these receptors function, including their signaling and movement within cells.
- Understanding the diverse interactions between adenosine receptors and their associated proteins could lead to better insights into disorders linked to these receptors, revealing new treatment possibilities.
Article Synopsis
- Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are important for how glutamate affects the central nervous system, with mGlu(5) receptor interacting with various proteins to regulate its function.
- Research showed that NECAB2, a protein, specifically interacts with the mGlu(5) receptor, and this interaction depends on calcium levels, meaning that higher calcium concentrations reduce their binding.
- The study demonstrated that NECAB2 and mGlu(5) are found together in the same part of brain cells, and their interaction influences important signaling pathways related to neuronal activity.