Memory and Neurodegeneration

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Understanding the neurodegenerative process

The Research Group on Memory and Neurodegeneration began its activities in 2001. Linked to the School of Bioscience and the Laboratory of Biology and Development of the Nervous System, it is led by Professor Nadja Schröder. The team has graduate students linked to the Graduate Programs of Molecular Cellular Biology, Medicine and Health Sciences, and Biomedical Gerontology.

Currently, the Group belongs to the National Institute for Translational Research in Medicine, and it stands out in studies in the fields of neurosciences, neuropharmacology, neurodegeneration, memory, and aging. One of the main research areas involves the study of the effects of the accumulation of iron in different areas of the brain and its role in neurodegenerative processes. Using an animal model, in which rats are treated with iron in the neonatal period, the Group performs biochemical and histological analyses, and behavioral experiments to test learning and memory. Furthermore, treatments are sought to reverse or prevent these effects.

Other research areas by the group are as follows: The effects of blocking the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor during the neonatal period over neurobehavioral parameters, The effects of aging and of neurodegenerative factors over cognitive aspects, Neonatal stress: possible implications for neuropsychiatric disorders, Investigation of the biological basis of recognition memory, Memory and aging: irreversible or reversible functional changes? and Memory and aging: strategies for neuroprotection. In the first 11 years of activities, more than 50 articles were published in journals of national and international renown.

The co-leader of the group, Professor Elke Bromberg, coordinates the laboratory where the studies are performed. In this group, the studies in the area of neurodegeneration cover different aspects, in particular those related to memory and aging.