美国纽约大学André A. Fenton研究小组发现，认知控制持续地增强海马的信息处理。这一研究成果于2021年11月10日在线发表在国际学术期刊《自然》上。
研究人员表示，使用认知控制来明智地使用相关信息，同时忽略分心的学习是否能普遍改善大脑功能，而不是形成显性记忆？根据一些认知行为疗法有效的神经可塑性假说，认知控制训练（CCT）改变了神经回路信息处理。
研究人员测试了CCT是否持续改变海马的神经回路功能。结果表明，小鼠在CCT期间学习并记住了一个条件性的场所回避，这需要忽略不相关的冲击位置。相对于无条件的对照组和在减少分心时避免同一地点的对照组小鼠，CCT促进了在新环境中学习新的任务，并持续数周。CCT迅速改变了内嗅皮层到齿状回的突触回路功能，导致了持续数月的兴奋性-抑制性子回路变化。CCT增加了抑制，削弱了齿状回对内侧内嗅皮层输入的反应，并通过解除抑制，增强了对强输入的反应，指出了整体的信号-噪声增强。
这些神经生物学发现支持神经可塑性假说，即除了储存项目-事件关联外，CCT还能持续优化神经回路信息处理。
附：英文原文
Title: Cognitive control persistently enhances hippocampal information processing
Author: Chung, Ain, Jou, Claudia, Grau-Perales, Alejandro, Levy, Eliott R. J., Dvorak, Dino, Hussain, Nida, Fenton, Andr A.
Issue&Volume: 2021-11-10
Abstract: Could learning that uses cognitive control to judiciously use relevant information while ignoring distractions generally improve brain function, beyond forming explicit memories According to a neuroplasticity hypothesis for how some cognitive behavioural therapies are effective, cognitive control training (CCT) changes neural circuit information processing1,2,3. Here we investigated whether CCT persistently alters hippocampal neural circuit function. We show that mice learned and remembered a conditioned place avoidance during CCT that required ignoring irrelevant locations of shock. CCT facilitated learning new tasks in novel environments for several weeks, relative to unconditioned controls and control mice that avoided the same place during reduced distraction. CCT rapidly changes entorhinal cortex-to-dentate gyrus synaptic circuit function, resulting in an excitatory–inhibitory subcircuit change that persists for months. CCT increases inhibition that attenuates the dentate response to medial entorhinal cortical input, and through disinhibition, potentiates the response to strong inputs, pointing to overall signal-to-noise enhancement. These neurobiological findings support the neuroplasticity hypothesis that, as well as storing item–event associations, CCT persistently optimizes neural circuit information processing.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04070-5
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04070-5
Nature：《自然》，创刊于1869年。隶属于施普林格·自然出版集团，最新IF：69.504
官方网址：http://www.nature.com/
投稿链接：http://www.nature.com/authors/submit_manuscript.html
本期文章：《自然》：Online/在线发表
