Defects in memory replay critical to role of apoE4 in Alzheimer’s disease

Written by Courtney Johnson

Researchers at the Gladstone Institutes (CA, USA) have demonstrated that apoE4 alters GABAergic interneuron activity in the hippocampus by causing defects in memory replay function, which is a critical process in memory consolidation. The findings were published recently in Neuron. Presence of apoE4 is the main genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), present in approximately 65–80% of AD patients, however, the associated mechanism of cognitive impairment has remained unclear. The team involved in the current study observed that apoE4 affects two kinds of hippocampal activity vital to memory processes –sharp wave ripples (SWRs) and consequential slow gamma activity. During...

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