近日，国际著名杂志《自然-神经学》NATURE NEUROSCIENCE在线刊登了美国研究人员的最新研究成果“Computational design of enhanced learning protocols，”，文章中，研究人员运用数学建模的办法使得酶能在训练和学习过程中得到最大限度的激活。
教育人士一直都认为，掌握好的学习方法需要培养发散性思维，而非死记硬背。这篇文章除了证明这点外，还认为“适当时机”比之前认为的要更复杂。这项研究证明，将已知分子事件计时考虑在内，设计相应的培养环境是可行的，这为未来针对改进更高等有机体的学习与记忆能力所开展的检验设计研究提供了范本。
神经元中的特定酶能够增强其在学习应答中的活性，但是，这些酶各自被激活所需的时间进程却有着很大的不同。
John Byrne与同事使用数学建模设计出一种学习方法能说明这些过程的精确计算，从而使得这些酶能在训练和学习过程中得到最大限度的激活。同时，他们也证明，经过特定设计的培养方式能够让一种名为加州海兔的海参的记忆力得到最大提升。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1038/nn.2990
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Computational design of enhanced learning protocols
Yili Zhang, Rong-Yu Liu, George A Heberton, Paul Smolen, Douglas A Baxter, Leonard J Cleary & John H Byrne
Learning and memory are influenced by the temporal pattern of training stimuli. However, the mechanisms that determine the effectiveness of a particular training protocol are not well understood. We tested the hypothesis that the efficacy of a protocol is determined in part by interactions among biochemical cascades that underlie learning and memory. Previous findings suggest that the protein kinase A (PKA) and extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) cascades are necessary to induce long-term synaptic facilitation (LTF) in Aplysia, a neuronal correlate of memory. We developed a computational model of the PKA and ERK cascades and used it to identify a training protocol that maximized PKA and ERK interactions. In vitro studies confirmed that the protocol enhanced LTF. Moreover, the protocol enhanced the levels of phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB1. Behavioral training confirmed that long-term memory also was enhanced by the protocol. These results illustrate the feasibility of using computational models to design training protocols that improve memory.
