Hippocampus dysfunction and Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. This progressive neurodegenerative disease is characterized by inexorable loss of memory and other cognitive functions. Despite decades of research effort, the underlying mechanisms of memory loss during AD are still poorly understood. Using transgenic mouse models of AD, we are scrutinizing how the pathology affects hippocampal plasticity from network to cellular levels, with a particular emphasis on whether some plasticity is retaining despite AD. We are also testing new behavioral, pharmacological and optogenetic approaches aiming at ameliorating memory functions in AD mice.

More specifically, our ongoing projects focus on:

• interneuronal plasticity and dysfunction sustaining cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s disease (Laure Verret, Lionel Dahan) ;
• the contribution of mitochondria dynsfunction to abnormal adult neurogenesis in Alzheimer’s disease (Claire Rampon, Manon Marque, Lionel Moulédous; collaboration with Minding team);
• the mechanisms of social recognition and social memory impairments in Alzheimer’s disease (Laure Verret, Christophe Rey, Claire Rampon);
• network dysfunction and epilepsy in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (Lionel Dahan, Laure Verret, Claire Rampon);
• the impact of metabolic impairment on Alzheimer’s disease (Bruno Guiard, Claire Rampon)

Label CoEN: http://www.fondation-alzheimer.org/4-La-recherche-en-France/38-Cartographie/17-Toulouse

EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research : http://www.cellmadgic.eu/

Funding