Dear colleagues,

Learning is the ability to modify behavior in response to experience and environmental changes, while memory is the maintenance of such modifications over time. Memory, defined as the storage and use of learned information in the brain, plays a fundamental role in modulating behavior and allows animals to adapt to their environment. A central question in experimental research is the extent to which similar learning mechanisms are shared within and across species, as these mechanisms are thought to have evolved in response to common adaptive challenges. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms responsible for activity-dependent forms of synaptic plasticity provides a basis for understanding the mechanisms underlying learning, memory, other forms of brain plasticity, and pathological conditions and suggests potential therapeutic interventions. Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms play important roles in learning and memory, how we absorb the world, and the moods that influence learning.

This special issue focuses on signaling pathways related to the cellular and molecular neurobiological mechanisms underlying memory formation, storage, and retrieval.

Prof. Dr. Giovanna Traina
Guest Editor