The objective of this research is to identify and study the involvement of certain nervous system mechanisms in the ability of the organism to adapt to changes in the environment. Of particular significance are those adaptations that result from the learning of new information. The work will focus on the fundamental unit of information processing in the nervous system - the single nerve cell. This research will aid in elucidation of how certain chemically and electrically based cellular processes are related to lasting modification of nervous system function. This work, in turn, will be important for understanding mechanisms that are related to the acquisition of learned behaviors.
