Mapping nerve changes in the hippocampus to behaviour changes during Alzheimer’s

Lead Investigator: Dr John Gigg
Institution: University of Manchester
Grant type: PhD
Duration: 3 years
Amount: 75,000
Scientific Title: An electrophysiological and computational analysis of hippocampal synaptic changes in the Alzheimer's disease mouse in vivo.

What do we already know?

Nerve cells rely on good communication between themselves to stay healthy. We know that communication (known as synaptic transmission) is disrupted in Alzheimer's disease, although the mechanism is poorly understood. It is thought that the accumulation of beta-amyloid and tau proteins in the brain, hallmarks of Alzheimer's, interferes with communication signals within and between nerve cells.

What does this project involve?

Dr Gigg will supervise a PhD student to measure electrical impulses in the brains of mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. By looking at the hippocampus, a region of the brain which experiences damage early in Alzheimer's, the researchers will map how changes in the brain cell networks relate to the behaviour of the mice. To do this they stimulate certain nerve cells and monitor how the messages are passed on to other cells, then analyse them with unique complex algorithms developed by Dr Gigg.     

How will this benefit people with dementia?

This project will explain for the first time how disruption of cell communication is linked to accumulation of beta-amyloid and tau, and the decline in mental ability in dementia. From this we can start to identify which are the most damaging changes in the Alzheimer's brain and prioritise targets for future therapies.