MESSIER, Claude
Research Interests:
I have been studying the effect of exogenous glucose (the metabolic fuel of the brain) on memory to gain a better understanding of memory modulation in both humans and animals. In the animal section of the laboratory, we are interested in the impact of glucose and glucose analogs on various types of memory in mice. One mechanism of action proposed is that exogenous glucose provides extra substrate for the synthesis of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory modulation. Another hypothesis suggests that glucose interacts with transporters that shuttle glucose across neuronal cell membranes. Hence, I am interested in the plastic changes in glucose transporters produced by learning and memory. The study is conducted in collaboration with William Staines (PhD) of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. Techniques used in the laboratory include behavioral evaluation of memory, anxiety and motor abilities in mice, pharmacological modulation of memory and anxiety through intracranial drug injection, and immunocytochemistry and Western Blot detection of brain proteins.
One of the aims of the human neuropsychology laboratory is to evaluate the use of glucose as a tool to probe memory functions in humans. It is a unique and non-invasive way of physiologically manipulating memory in humans. Using this approach, we have shown that glucose modulates specific aspects of human memory independently of others. In a related study we have demonstrated that impaired absorption of glucose produces memory impairment in young and old people similar to the impairment observed in older diabetic patients.
One of the significant advantages of integrating human and animal research is that a number of hypotheses derived from human experiments can be tested in basic neuroscience animal work. In the same way, hypotheses generated by animal studies can provide the basis for new approaches in human research. Thus, in a unified and parallel fashion, I associate basic memory research with research projects aimed at developing new treatment strategies for memory deficits observed in conditions such as aging, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
Search on PubMed to obtain the last 5 years publications for Dr. C. Messier.