• DOI:10.1038/nature05772
• Corpus ID: 36395789

Recovery of learning and memory is associated with chromatin remodelling

@article{Fischer2007RecoveryOL,
  title={Recovery of learning and memory is associated with chromatin remodelling},
  author={Andr{\'e} Fischer and Farahnaz Sananbenesi and Xinyu Wang and Matthew M. Dobbin and Li-Huei Tsai},
  journal={Nature},
  year={2007},
  volume={447},
  pages={178-182}
}

• A. Fischer, F. Sananbenesi, +2 authors L. Tsai
• Published 10 May 2007
• Biology
• Nature

Neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system are often associated with impaired learning and memory, eventually leading to dementia. An important aspect in pre-clinical research is the exploration of strategies to re-establish learning ability and access to long-term memories. By using a mouse model that allows temporally and spatially restricted induction of neuronal loss, we show here that environmental enrichment reinstated learning behaviour and re-established access to long-term memories after significant brain atrophy and neuronal loss had already occurred. Environmental enrichment correlated with chromatin modifications (increased histone-tail acetylation). Moreover, increased histone acetylation by inhibitors of histone deacetylases induced sprouting of dendrites, an increased number of synapses, and reinstated learning behaviour and access to long-term memories. These data suggest that inhibition of histone deacetylases might be a suitable therapeutic avenue for neurodegenerative diseases associated with learning and memory impairment, and raises the possibility of recovery of long-term memories in patients with dementia.