Neural Circuits and Systems Neuroscience
Author: Pedro Benedetti | email: pbenedetti@itba.edu.ar
Pedro Benedetti 1°, Rodrigo Ramele 2°, Fabricio Ballarini 3°, Pedro Bekinschtein 1°
1° INCYT (Universidad Favaloro-INECO-CONICET)
2° Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires
3° Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias “Prof. E. De Robertis” (IBCN-Facultad de Medicina-UBA)
Novelty is seen as a factor that triggers exploration of an environment. Such exploration has been interpreted as a way to build and update a model of the world that can then be used for action planning. However, since the world is complex and permanently changing, mismatches can be generated between it and the generated mental model. Such differences, when perceived, generate the feeling of surprise. Moreover, this effect is a signal that the mental model needs to be updated, thus playing an important role in learning and memory processes. Novelty, produced by a violation of expectations, before or during learning has been shown to trigger an adaptive encoding mechanism, enhancing memory. The present project aims to characterize its neuroelectrical correlation in EEG signals. An initial experiment proposed is based on replicating results already known from the Oddball paradigm. In the future, the aim is to generate a protocol containing components that can emulate natural memory processes and then characterize their neuroelectrical correlates in the cerebral cortex. A final stage of the project would be to be able to generate these same activations in a controlled manner and without requiring novel events, which could have a potential stimulating effect on memory.