When you think of memory systems in the brain, you may think they only store information from the past. In fact, however, the memory systems are critical to determine our future behavior based on the past. For example, the experience of studying hard and improving exam scores can lead to further study behavior. In contrast, the negative experience can reduce motivation for subsequent behavior and in some cases cause depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, in dementia, the memory system in the brain does not work properly, making it impossible to perform normal daily activities. Our missions are to elucidate the neural mechanisms that regulate learning and memory and to develop how to treat memory-related psychiatric disorders.
DetailsHiroshi Nomura
Endowed Course Professor
Favorite skills: Behavioral analysis, Ca2+ imaging, Python
hnomura[at]med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp
Yoshikazu Morishita
Endowed Course Assistant Professor
Favorite skills: RNA experiments, Stereotaxic surgery
ymori[at]med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp
Undisclosed
Technical staff
Favorite skills: Flow cytometry, cytotoxicity assay, DNA work
Yuto Yokoi
Technical staff
Favorite skills: Stereotaxic surgery, Microbial culture, Immunohistochemistry, In situ hybridization
yokoi_y[at]med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp
Undisclosed
Technical staff
Favorite skills: Wide-field Ca2+ imaging, Python, Mathematical Analysis
Nao Nomura
Research assisant
Favorite skills: Behavioral analysis, miniscope Ca2+ imaging, SNI surgery
nnomura[at]med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp
Yuki Takamura
Graduate student (PhD course)
Favorite skills: Fiber photometry, deep brain Ca2+ imaging
Sentaro Kaita
Undergraduate student
Favorite skills: Intracranial drug infusions
As time passes after we remember something, it becomes more difficult to recall it. However, the fact that we can recall memories at a moment's notice suggests that memory traces remain in the brain, and if these memory traces can be successfully activated, memories can be regained. We have previously shown that histamine H3 receptor inverse agonists can restore memory recall. We are currently working on further elucidating this mechanism.
Many brain functions, including learning and memory, are thought to be accomplished by both "local information processing within a brain region" and "interregional information processing between regions. However, it has been difficult to analyze these two types of information processing simultaneously. Therefore, we have developed simultaneous Ca2+ imaging from multiple deep brain regions to elucidate the mechanism of multi-regional control of brain functions.
We aim to understand the mechanisms of learning and memory, as well as to develop technologies to supplement the declining abilities of learning and memory by artificially creating them.
Chemogenetic activation of histamine neurons promotes retrieval of apparently lost memories
Yokoi Y, Kubo A, Nishimura K, Takamura Y, Morishita Y, Minami M, Nomura H*.
Mol Brain. 2024 Jun 15;17(1):38
Evaluation of behavioural selection processes in conflict scenarios using a newly developed mouse behavioural paradigm
Miyagami Y, Honshuku Y, Nomura H, Minami M, Hitora-Imamura N*.
Sci Rep. 2023 Nov 16;13(1):20006
The impact of pitolisant, an H3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist, on perirhinal cortex activity in individual neuron and neuronal population levels
Hirano K, Morishita Y, Minami M, Nomura H*.
Sci Rep. 2022 May 12;12:7015
Chronic pain-induced neuronal plasticity in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis causes maladaptive anxiety
Yamauchi N, Sato K, Sato K, Murakawa S, Hamasaki Y, Nomura H, Amano T, Minami M*.
Sci Adv. 2022 Apr 29;8(17):eabj5586
Histamine: A Key Neuromodulator of Memory Consolidation and Retrieval
Nomura H*, Shimizume R, Ikegaya Y.
Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2021 Aug
Prepronociceptin-Expressing Neurons in the Extended Amygdala Encode and Promote Rapid Arousal Responses to Motivationally Salient Stimuli
Rodriguez-Romaguera J, Ung RL, Nomura H, Otis JM, Basiri ML, Namboodiri VMK, Zhu X, Robinson JE, van den Munkhof HE, McHenry JA, Eckman LEH, Kosyk O, Jhou TC, Kash TL, Bruchas MR, Stuber GD*.
Cell Rep. 2020 Nov 10;33(6):108362.
Central Histamine Boosts Perirhinal Cortex Activity and Restores Forgotten Object Memories
Nomura H*, Mizuta H, Norimoto H, Masuda F, Miura Y, Kubo A, Kojima H, Ashizuka A, Matsukawa N, Baraki Z, Hitora-Imamura N, Nakayama D, Ishikawa T, Okada M, Orita K, Saito R, Yamauchi N, Sano Y, Kusuhara H, Minami M, Takahashi H*, Ikegaya Y.
Biol Psychiatry. 2019 Aug 1;86(3):230-239.
Visualization of cortical, subcortical and deep brain neural circuit dynamics during naturalistic mammalian behavior with head-mounted microscopes and chronically implanted lenses
Resendez SL, Jennings JH, Ung RL, Namboodiri VM, Zhou ZC, Otis JM, Nomura H, McHenry JA, Kosyk O, Stuber GD*.
Nat Protoc. 2016 Mar;11(3):566-97.
Prefrontal dopamine regulates fear reinstatement through the downregulation of extinction circuits.
Hitora-Imamura N, Miura Y, Teshirogi C, Ikegaya Y, Matsuki N, Nomura H*
Elife. 2015 Jul 30;4:e08274.
Memory formation and retrieval of neuronal silencing in the auditory cortex.
Nomura H*, Hara K, Abe R, Hitora-Imamura N, Nakayama R, Sasaki T, Matsuki N, Ikegaya Y
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Aug 4;112(31):9740-4.
Long-delayed expression of the immediate early gene Arc/Arg3.1 refines neuronal circuits to perpetuate fear memory.
Nakayama D, Iwata H, Teshirogi C, Ikegaya Y, Matsuki N, Nomura H*.
J Neurosci. 2015 Jan 14;35(2):819-30.
Frontal association cortex is engaged in stimulus integration during associative learning.
Nakayama D, Baraki Z, Onoue K, Ikegaya Y, Matsuki N, Nomura H*.
Curr Biol. 2015 Jan 5;25(1):117-23.
Synaptic plasticity associated with a memory engram in the basolateral amygdala.
Nonaka A, Toyoda T, Miura Y, Hitora-Imamura N, Naka M, Eguchi M, Yamaguchi S, Ikegaya Y, Matsuki N, Nomura H*.
J Neurosci. 2014 Jul 9;34(28):9305-9.