Cholinergic Modulation May Enhance Cortical Associative Memory Function

Combining neuropharmacological experiments with computational model(cid:173) ing, we have shown that cholinergic modulation may enhance associative memory function in piriform (olfactory) cortex. We have shown that the acetylcholine analogue carbachol selectively suppresses synaptic transmis(cid:173) sion between cells within piriform cortex, while leaving input connections unaffected. When tested in a computational model of piriform cortex, this selective suppression, applied during learning, enhances associative memory performance.