Molecular cellular cognition
Molecular cellular cognition (MCC) is a branch of neuroscience that involves the study of cognitive processes with approaches that integrate molecular, cellular and behavioral mechanisms. Key goals of MCC studies include the derivation of molecular and cellular explanations of cognitive processes, as well as finding mechanisms and treatments for cognitive disorders.
Although closely connected with
Unlike cognitive neuroscience, which historically has focused on the connection between human brain systems and behavior, the field of MCC has used model organisms, such as mice, to study how molecular (i.e. receptor, kinase activation, phosphatase regulation), intra-cellular (i.e. dendritic processes), and inter-cellular processes (i.e. synaptic plasticity; network representations such as place fields) modulate cognitive function.
Methods employed in MCC include (but are not limited to)
Scientific roots
The field of MCC has its roots in the pioneering pharmacological studies of the role of
Foundation of the field
MCC became an organized field with the formation of the Molecular Cellular Cognition Society, an organization with no membership fees and meetings that emphasize the participation of junior scientists. Its first meeting took place in Orlando, Florida on November first, 2002. As of 2012[update], the society had organized numerous meetings in North America, Europe, and Asia, and included more than 4000 members.