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Impaired cognitive map in transgenic animals relevant to Alzheimer's disease: from neurons to network 

ZHENG Li^1,2, WANG Ling^1,3,2, YANG Jia-Jia^1,3,2, ZHENG Chen-Guang^1,3,2,*

¹School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China；²Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin 300072, China；³Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a typical cognitive disorder with an increasing incidence in recent years. AD is also one of the main causes of disability and death of the elderly in current aging society. One of the most common symptoms of AD is spatial memory impairment, which occurs in more than 60% of patients. This memory loss is closely related to the impairment of cognitive maps in the brain. The entorhinal grid cells and the hippocampal place cells are important cellular basis for spatial memory and navigation functions in the brain. Understanding the abnormal firing pattern of these neurons and their impaired coordination to neural oscillations in transgenic rodents is crucial for identifying the therapeutic targets for AD. In this article, we review recent studies on neural activity based on transgenic rodent models of AD, with a focus on the changes in the firing characteristics of neurons and the abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) rhythm in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. We also discuss potential cell-network mechanism of spatial memory disorders caused by AD, so as to provide a scientific basis for the diagnosis and treatment of AD in the future.

Key words: Alzheimer’s disease; hippocampus; entorhinal cortex; place cells; spatial memory

Received: 　　Accepted:

Corresponding author: 郑晨光　　E-mail: cgzheng@tju.edu.cn

DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2023.0054

Citing This Article：

ZHENG Li, WANG Ling, YANG Jia-Jia, ZHENG Chen-Guang. Impaired cognitive map in transgenic animals relevant to Alzheimer's disease: from neurons to network . Acta Physiol Sin 2023; 75 (5): 671-681 (in Chinese with English abstract).