memory/  in a creature that can't find the window it just flew in through ?

Quoting rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]>:

> Science News
> 
>  Fly's Tiny Brain May Hold Huge Human Benefits
> ScienceDaily (Mar. 24, 2008) - Before swatting at one of those pesky flies 
> that come out as the days lengthen and the temperature rises, one should 
> probably think twice. A University of Missouri researcher has found, through
> 
> the study of Drosophila (a type of fruit fly), that by manipulating levels 
> of certain compounds associated with the "circuitry" of the brain, key genes
> 
> related to memory can be isolated and tested. The results of the study may 
> benefit human patients suffering from Parkinson's disease and could 
> eventually lead to discoveries in the treatment of depression.
> "The implication for human health is that it could influence our 
> understanding of the cognitive decline associated with Parkinson's disease 
> and depression in humans," said Troy Zars, MU assistant professor of 
> biological science in the College of Arts and Science.
> The idea that animals have a system that can match the quality of a memory 
> with the significance of the memory is well established. If the event is 
> significant, the memory and detail surrounding it is much stronger, lasts 
> longer and is more easily recalled compared to more insignificant or common 
> events. The problem the study addresses is the understanding of the 
> mechanism by which that occurs.
> "We have developed a strategy to address how this matching occurs, so we can
> 
> 'turn that crank' over and over again. It allows us to answer the questions,
> 
> 'What gene is it" How does it function" How does it interact with other 
> proteins"' We can find brand-new, completely unexpected things," Zars said.
> A major goal of neuroscience is to discover and study memory-forming 
> structures within a brain. Zars said he works with Drosophila because they 
> are a well-established genetic model, have a relatively less complex brain 
> than the mouse or human (250,000 neurons versus 100 billion neurons), and 
> have a broad repertoire of behaviors.
> Memory in the flies was tested using a specialized chamber in which single 
> flies were allowed to wander freely. The chamber was outfitted with heating 
> elements. When the fly moved to a particular side, the whole chamber rapidly
> 
> heated to an uncomfortable temperature. The flies eventually learned, or 
> remembered, to avoid that half if brain "circuitry" is functioning properly.
> 
> A mutation in certain flies, however, altered the levels of serotonin and 
> dopamine, which resulted in lower memory scores.
> "This research is important because by studying a simple brain it will help 
> us ultimately understand complex neural systems," Zars said. Zars' study was
> 
> published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
> Adapted from materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia, via 
> EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
> University of Missouri-Columbia (2008, March 24). Fly's Tiny Brain May Hold 
> Huge Human Benefits. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 1, 2008, from 
> http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/03/080324173545
> Rayilyn Brown
> Board Member AZNPF
> Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation
> [log in to unmask] 
> 
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