Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Young, Erica

Abstract

Motor learning is crucial for diverse behaviors, yet the neural mechanisms that consolidate the learning remain poorly understood. A recent study (Majumder et al., 2023) found that inhibiting Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in pyramidal tract (PT) neurons, but not Intratelencephalic (IT) neurons, in the Anterior Lateral Motor cortex (ALM) disrupt motor learning. This suggests a cell-type-specific reliance on CaMKII for inducing synaptic plasticity during motor skill acquisition. This project aims to explore how the brain consolidates the acquired motor skill as a long-term memory. We hypothesize that following motor learning, CaMKII in PT, but not IT, cells activates the expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) arc and cfos, which may play a critical role in the storage of motor memories. Understanding the cell-specific roles in the ALM could provide insights into motor memory neural circuitry and diseases.

Comments

Thesis (B.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, 2024

Extent

39 p.

Identifier

FAUHT00296

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