Seminar – Laure VERRET

Harnessing inhibitory circuit plasticity to promote cognitive resilience in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by profound alterations in neuronal circuit function that contribute to cognitive decline. Laure Verret’s research focuses on understanding how inhibitory neuronal circuits, and in particular parvalbumin (PV)-expressing neurons and their associated perineuronal nets (PNNs), regulate memory processes and cognitive resilience in the context of Alzheimer’s disease. Using complementary approaches combining mouse models, circuit manipulation and behavioral analysis, her work investigates how experience-dependent plasticity of PV neurons and PNNs can produce long-lasting changes in hippocampal network function and memory. Laure Verret will discuss recent findings showing that transient modulation of PV circuits and/or PNNs can induce persistent cognitive benefits despite the continued presence of Alzheimer’s pathology, and explore the cellular and network mechanisms underlying this form of induced cognitive resilience.