Anatomy Seminar: Estrogenic regulation of memory consolidation: Neural mechanisms and implications for Alzheimer’s disease

 Karyn M. Frick, PhD

Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

“Estrogenic regulation of memory consolidation: Neural mechanisms and implications for Alzheimer’s disease”

The increased risk to women of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is thought to be related, at least in part, to estrogen loss at menopause. Estrogens are important trophic factors for neurons in the hippocampus, a brain region that mediates many forms of memory and that deteriorates early in AD. However, estrogen therapy is not recommended for maintaining cognitive function in menopausal women due to health risks associated with treatment. A better understanding of the neural mechanisms through which estrogens regulate memory formation may lead to new treatments that provide the benefits of estrogens without harmful side effects. This talk will discuss the Frick’s lab’s efforts to pinpoint the cellular and molecular mechanisms in the hippocampus through which the potent estrogen 17beta-estradiol enhances memory consolidation. Sex differences in these effects will be noted, as will effects of estradiol treatment in both wild-type mice and the EFAD mouse model of AD.