Galloway Evan M, Woo Newton H, Lu Bai
Section on Neural Development and Plasticity, NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Prog Brain Res. 2008;169:251-66. doi: 10.1016/S0079-6123(07)00015-5.
Working memory is the ability to maintain representations of task-relevant information for short periods of time to guide subsequent actions or make decisions. Neurons of the prefrontal cortex exhibit persistent firing during the delay period of working memory tasks. Despite extensive studies, the mechanisms underlying this persistent neural activity remain largely obscure. The neurotransmitter systems of dopamine, NMDA, and GABA have been implicated, but further investigations are necessary to establish their precise roles and relationships. Recent research has suggested a new component: brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its high-affinity receptor, TrkB. We review the research on persistent activity and suggest that BDNF/TrkB signaling in a distinct class of interneurons plays an important role in organizing persistent neural activity at the single-neuron and network levels.
工作记忆是在短时间内维持与任务相关信息的表征以指导后续行动或做出决策的能力。前额叶皮层的神经元在工作记忆任务的延迟期表现出持续放电。尽管进行了广泛研究，但这种持续神经活动的潜在机制在很大程度上仍不清楚。多巴胺、NMDA和GABA的神经递质系统已被牵涉其中，但需要进一步研究来确定它们的确切作用和关系。最近的研究提出了一个新的组成部分：脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）及其高亲和力受体TrkB。我们回顾了关于持续活动的研究，并表明在一类独特的中间神经元中的BDNF/TrkB信号传导在组织单神经元和网络水平的持续神经活动中起重要作用。
